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The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25,000 honor prize money to the trust for venues, which operates to save the UK's grassroots music venues.

He was presented with the cheque on October 16 as his third album his work was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.

Fender has decided to donate the funds to the MVT, in recognition of the crucial part local spots played in his initial steps.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it hadn't been for all the performances I played around the region, and elsewhere, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These venues are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these spaces have shut down – approximately one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.

Over the past year, major artists such as Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their admission fees, which benefits independent venues.

He also took part, collecting in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help 38 small stages across the UK.

These funds assisted locations that were facing possible closure due to difficulties caused by floods, fire incidents and personal losses, as well as regulatory hurdles, conflicts and neighbor objections.

Other venues received funding support in upgrading amenities and gear that helped musicians and audiences.

"The idea that funds from concerts in major spaces backs the smaller venues, where it begins for performers like me, is just logical," the star has commented.

He is not the first artist to contribute his award funds to worthy causes.

In the band earned the prize in 1996 for their record the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the band would give their cash to the charity War Child.

That year, musician the artist shared her prize across several organizations, such as the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"And I donated a grand to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I did gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," the artist explained to the media.

Two years ago, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their group, alongside other independent music bodies.

Also winners that year they donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the disease.

"Winning was sufficient," said artist Heather Small. "The money was the extra but we didn't need the extra, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."

Recently, the Music Venues Trust shared it had rescued a couple of small stages in the South East, by bringing them into community ownership.

The Joiners in Southampton and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is funded by a national body and music fans who buy "stakes" in the buildings.