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The artist has given the entirety of his £25k award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the United Kingdom's grassroots live music spots.

He was awarded the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the best record of the past year.

He has chosen to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part grassroots venues had in his initial steps.

"I wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it weren't for all the gigs I did around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was starting out," said the artist. "These venues are renowned, but they are in difficulty."

From early 2023 onward, over 150 of these venues have ceased operations – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.

Over the past year, top acts like the band Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to help venues survive, by applying a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help independent venues.

He also participated, raising over £100k on his recent tour to assist numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.

These funds helped spaces that were confronting possible closure due to issues stemming from floods, blazes and family tragedies, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.

Additional spaces were granted monetary aid in upgrading facilities and technical equipment that helped performers and concertgoers.

"The notion that revenue from performances in big venues supports the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just common sense," the star has commented.

Fender is far from the only musician to contribute his Mercury Prize winnings to charitable organizations.

When they earned the trophy in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist the singer stated that the act would contribute their cash to the non-profit War Child.

That year, rapper and singer the artist split her prize between a few charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.

"I also donated a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their classes, because I did gymnastics when I was younger and they needed better apparatus," the artist explained to a publication.

Previously, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the community center that developed their group, alongside other independent music bodies.

And winners that year they contributed their award to a MS organization after a acquaintance was identified with the condition.

"Winning was ample," stated singer Small. "The prize was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our winning affected somebody else's life."

Last week, the trust announced it had saved two grassroots venues in that region, by placing them under public stewardship.

The Joiners in Southampton and the second in Bristol were acquired under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is supported by the arts council and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the venues.