The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 honor cash to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to protect the United Kingdom's independent music venues.
The star was awarded the award on mid-October as his new release his work was chosen as the best record of the past year.
Fender has chosen to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.
"I personally couldn't be pursuing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the performances I performed around the area, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," stated Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these locations have permanently closed – approximately 16 percent of the total UK scene.
Recently, top acts like Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the trust in its efforts to support the industry, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits smaller concert halls.
Fender also joined in, collecting over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist numerous local spots across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The money helped locations that were confronting possible closure due to challenges arising from floods, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, legal disputes and neighbor objections.
Some locations obtained financial assistance in improving infrastructure and technical equipment that directly benefitted performers and fans.
"The notion that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the local stages, where it begins for artists like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.
He is among several artists to give his honor funds to charitable organizations.
When Pulp won the award in the year 1996 for their album their work, lead singer Cocker declared that the group would give their cash to the organization War Child.
During 2002, rapper and singer she split her bounty between several charities, like the children's charity and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to my local community centre, to their gymnastics class, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked new equipment," the artist explained to outlets.
In recent years, the band donated their winnings to the youth organization that developed their band, in addition to other independent music bodies.
Additionally winners that year the group donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was found to have the illness.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," stated singer Small. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our victory affected somebody else's life."
Recently, the MVT announced it had rescued two grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into public stewardship.
The first in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol were purchased under the community ownership initiative, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the venues.
