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The star has given the full amount of his £25k award winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the Britain's grassroots live music spots.

Fender was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his new release People Watching was named the top album of the past year.

Fender has decided to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in recognition of the essential function small stages had in his initial steps.

"I personally wouldn't be doing this success if it hadn't been for all the performances I did around the North East, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These venues are iconic, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, over 150 of these spaces have shut down – about 16 percent of the whole industry in the UK.

In the last year, major artists like Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all aided the trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by adding a small levy to their admission fees, which goes to help local stages.

Fender also joined in, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to support thirty-eight grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.

The money supported venues that were facing imminent closure due to challenges arising from flooding, fires and personal losses, as well as permit problems, court cases and noise complaints.

Additional spaces were granted financial assistance in modernizing amenities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.

"The idea that funds from shows in large arenas supports the smaller venues, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.

The musician is far from the only musician to give his honor funds to charitable organizations.

Back when they earned the prize in the year 1996 for their album the album, frontman the singer stated that the act would give their cash to the charity the charity.

In 2002, artist the artist shared her bounty between a few charities, like the NSPCC and a charity for Sickle Cell.

"Additionally, I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they required better apparatus," she explained to a publication.

In recent years, Ezra Collective gave their prize money to the community center that nurtured their act, as well as other independent music bodies.

And the 1994 recipients M People gave their award to a charity for MS after a friend was found to have the illness.

"The victory was quite enough," remarked vocalist the singer. "The cash was the extra but we didn't require the bonus, because we had the cake. So our winning impacted the lives of others."

Last week, the MVT revealed it had rescued two small stages in the South East, by placing them under community ownership.

The first in that area and the second in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is supported by Arts Council England and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the venues.