The artist has given the entirety of his £25k Mercury Prize winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the UK's independent music venues.
Fender was presented with the cheque on mid-October as his third album People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the previous year.
He has decided to give the cash to the trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role small stages fulfilled in his beginning days.
"As an artist wouldn't be doing this success if it wasn't for all the shows I performed around the North East, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."
Since the start of 2023, more than 150 of these venues have ceased operations – about 16% of the total UK scene.
Over the past year, major artists such as the band Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the MVT in its initiatives to keep the scene afloat, by adding a minor surcharge to their ticket prices, which benefits local stages.
He also took part, collecting over £100k on his live tour to support 38 local spots across Britain.
The money assisted venues that were dealing with possible closure due to challenges arising from water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and sound issues.
Other venues were granted monetary aid in improving infrastructure and gear that positively impacted artists and concertgoers.
"The idea that revenue from performances in large arenas helps the local stages, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just logical," the star has commented.
Fender is not the first artist to donate his award funds to charitable organizations.
When Pulp earned the award in 1996 for their album the album, frontman Jarvis Cocker declared that the band would donate their cash to the organization War Child.
In 2002, rapper and singer she shared her prize across several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"And I donated a thousand pounds to my local community centre, to their classes, because I trained in gymnastics when I was a child and they lacked updated gear," Ms Dynamite shared with a publication.
Two years ago, the band donated their winnings to the local youth club that nurtured their act, alongside other local music groups.
And the 1994 recipients they donated their winnings to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was identified with the illness.
"Winning was quite enough," stated singer the singer. "The money was the cherry on top but we didn't require the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory affected another person's life."
In the past week, the trust revealed it had protected a couple of small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to public stewardship.
The Joiners in the city and the other in Bristol were acquired under the public acquisition initiative, which is supported by a national body and supporters who purchase "stakes" in the properties.
