The artist donates twenty-five thousand pounds cash award to small live spaces

The star has handed over the entirety of his £25,000 honor winnings to the trust for venues, which operates to save the United Kingdom's grassroots music venues.

He was awarded the cheque on 16 October as his latest record his work was chosen as the best record of the last 12 months.

He has opted to give the cash to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the essential function small stages fulfilled in his early career.

"As an artist couldn't be pursuing my current career if it weren't for all the gigs I played around the area, and elsewhere, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These locations are renowned, but they are struggling."

Beginning in 2023, more than 150 of these venues have permanently closed – about 16% of the total UK scene.

Recently, top acts including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the trust in its attempts to keep the scene afloat, by adding a modest fee to their ticket costs, which supports smaller concert halls.

He also participated, collecting more than £100,000 on his 2024 arena tour to help thirty-eight local spots across the UK.

The money helped venues that were confronting potential shutdown due to challenges stemming from floods, blazes and bereavements, as well as permit problems, legal disputes and neighbor objections.

Other venues were granted financial assistance in modernizing facilities and technical equipment that directly benefitted artists and fans.

"The notion that revenue from shows in large arenas helps the local stages, where it kicks off for performers like me, is just common sense," Fender has said.

Fender is among several artists to contribute his honor funds to good deeds.

In Pulp won the award in 1996 for their record Different Class, vocalist Jarvis Cocker stated that the band would contribute their cash to the charity War Child.

During 2002, rapper and singer Ms Dynamite shared her award across several organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"Additionally, I gave a grand to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics program, because I trained in gymnastics when I was growing up and they lacked updated gear," she explained to outlets.

Two years ago, the band donated their prize money to the community center that supported their act, alongside other local music groups.

Additionally the 1994 recipients M People gave their award to a charity for MS after a close contact was identified with the disease.

"Winning was sufficient," said singer the singer. "The prize was the cherry on top but we didn't need the extra, because we had the honor. So our victory affected somebody else's life."

In the past week, the trust revealed it had rescued a couple of small stages in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.

The Joiners in the city and the other in that location were bought under the Own Our Venues program, which is funded by Arts Council England and supporters who buy "shares" in the properties.