The artist has handed over the complete sum of his £25k honor winnings to the Music Venues Trust, which operates to save the Britain's independent concert spaces.
He was presented with the prize on 16 October as his new release People Watching was declared the outstanding release of the past year.
Fender has decided to hand the money over to the trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his initial steps.
"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the performances I played around the North East, and further afield, when I was starting out," remarked the artist. "These venues are legendary, but they are in difficulty."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these locations have permanently closed – about one-sixth of the whole industry in the UK.
In the last year, major artists like Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its initiatives to support the industry, by including a modest fee to their ticket costs, which benefits independent venues.
Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to support numerous grassroots venues across England, Scotland, and Wales.
These funds supported venues that were facing possible closure due to challenges caused by water damage, fires and bereavements, as well as licensing issues, court cases and noise complaints.
Additional spaces obtained funding support in improving facilities and gear that positively impacted performers and audiences.
"The notion that money from shows in large arenas helps the smaller venues, where it all starts for performers like me, is just common sense," the star has stated.
He is not the first artist to donate his honor prize money to charitable organizations.
When they received the award in the mid-90s for their album Different Class, frontman Jarvis Cocker announced that the act would contribute their prize money to the organization War Child.
During 2002, musician the artist divided her award between a few organizations, such as the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell organization.
"I also contributed a grand to the center, to their gymnastics program, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required updated gear," the artist explained to outlets.
In recent years, Ezra Collective donated their funds to the local youth club that nurtured their band, alongside other local music groups.
And the 1994 recipients M People gave their award to a MS organization after a friend was identified with the condition.
"Receiving the award was sufficient," said singer Heather Small. "The prize was the extra but we could do without the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched another person's life."
Last week, the MVT announced it had saved a couple of grassroots venues in south-east England, by bringing them into local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in the city were bought under the community ownership program, which is funded by the arts council and supporters who purchase "shares" in the buildings.
