The artist has donated the full amount of his £25k Mercury Prize cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's small concert spaces.
Fender was given the award on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.
Fender has opted to donate the funds to the trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part small stages played in his initial steps.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the performances I played around the area, and beyond, when I was just getting going," said Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Beginning in 2023, at least 150 of these locations have permanently closed – roughly 16 percent of the total UK scene.
In the last year, major artists like the band Pulp, Coldplay, Katy Perry and Sheeran have all backed the trust in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by including a small levy to their ticket prices, which supports independent venues.
He also took part, collecting over £100k on his recent tour to support thirty-eight small stages across the UK.
The money assisted spaces that were dealing with possible closure due to difficulties caused by water damage, blazes and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces obtained financial assistance in modernizing infrastructure and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.
"The notion that money from shows in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just common sense," Fender has stated.
Fender is among several artists to contribute his Mercury Prize funds to charitable organizations.
Back when Pulp earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their record the album, frontman Cocker announced that the act would donate their cash to the organization the charity.
In 2002, rapper and singer she split her prize among multiple charities, such as the children's charity and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I gave a thousand pounds to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they needed better apparatus," she told a publication.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their winnings to the community center that developed their group, as well as other independent music bodies.
And winners that year the group contributed their award to a multiple sclerosis charity after a friend was found to have the disease.
"The victory was quite enough," said singer Heather Small. "The cash was the bonus but we didn't need the extra, because we had the main prize. So our winning impacted somebody else's life."
Last week, the trust revealed it had protected a couple of local spots in the South East, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in that area and the second in Bristol were bought under the Own Our Venues scheme, which is backed by a national body and music fans who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
