The artist has given the entirety of his £25,000 honor cash to the MVT, which functions to preserve the UK's independent music venues.
He was given the prize on October 16 as his latest record People Watching was named the outstanding release of the last 12 months.
The musician has opted to hand the money over to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the vital role local spots had in his beginning days.
"I personally wouldn't be doing what I am doing today if it hadn't been for all the gigs I did around the region, and beyond, when I was just getting going," remarked the artist. "These locations are renowned, but they are facing challenges."
From early 2023 onward, more than 150 of these spaces have permanently closed – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.
In the last year, top acts including Pulp, Coldplay, the singer Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all backed the Music Venues Trust in its attempts to support the industry, by including a minor surcharge to their ticket costs, which benefits local stages.
Fender also took part, generating over £100k on his 2024 arena tour to assist thirty-eight local spots across the UK.
The money supported locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues arising from flooding, fires and family tragedies, as well as licensing issues, conflicts and neighbor objections.
Additional spaces received funding support in modernizing amenities and sound and lighting systems that directly benefitted artists and audiences.
"The concept that money from performances in major spaces helps the independent spots, where it kicks off for musicians like me, is just sensible," Fender has stated.
Fender is far from the only musician to give his Mercury Prize prize money to good deeds.
When they received the prize in the mid-90s for their album their work, lead singer Cocker stated that the group would give their winnings to the charity War Child.
In 2002, musician the artist split her award among several charities, including the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.
"Additionally, I donated a £1,000 to Highgate Newtown, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was a child and they required new equipment," she told outlets.
Two years ago, they gave their winnings to the community center that supported their band, as well as other local music groups.
And winners that year M People donated their winnings to a charity for MS after a friend was diagnosed the disease.
"Winning was quite enough," said vocalist Small. "The money was the bonus but we didn't require the cherry, because we had the main prize. So our victory touched the lives of others."
Recently, the Music Venues Trust announced it had saved a couple of local spots in south-east England, by transferring them to local control.
The Joiners in Southampton and the other in that location were bought under the community ownership scheme, which is funded by a national body and supporters who purchase "ownership units" in the buildings.
