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The artist has given the entirety of his £25,000 award cash to the Music Venues Trust, which functions to protect the United Kingdom's small live music spots.

Fender was given the cheque on 16 October as his new release the album was declared the top album of the previous year.

The musician has chosen to donate the funds to the Music Venues Trust, in acknowledgment of the crucial part local spots played in his beginning days.

"As an artist would not have achieved what I am doing today if it wasn't for all the shows I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was beginning," stated Fender. "These spaces are legendary, but they are facing challenges."

From early 2023 onward, at least 150 of these venues have shut down – roughly one-sixth of the total UK scene.

In the last year, well-known musicians including Pulp, the group Coldplay, Katy Perry and Ed Sheeran have all supported the MVT in its efforts to keep the scene afloat, by applying a modest fee to their admission fees, which benefits local stages.

Fender also joined in, generating in excess of £100,000 on his recent tour to help thirty-eight grassroots venues across the UK.

The donation helped locations that were confronting imminent closure due to issues caused by water damage, fire incidents and bereavements, as well as permit problems, court cases and sound issues.

Some locations were granted monetary aid in upgrading amenities and gear that directly benefitted artists and concertgoers.

"The concept that money from performances in major spaces supports the local stages, where it all starts for artists like me, is just logical," Fender has stated.

The musician is far from the only musician to donate his honor winnings to worthy causes.

Back when they earned the trophy in the mid-90s for their release the album, vocalist Cocker stated that the group would give their cash to the organization the charity.

That year, rapper and singer she split her bounty among multiple organizations, like the NSPCC and a Sickle Cell charity.

"And I contributed a thousand pounds to the center, to their gymnastics class, because I practiced gymnastics when I was younger and they needed updated gear," the artist told a publication.

In recent years, Ezra Collective contributed their winnings to the youth organization that supported their act, in addition to other grassroots music organisations.

And the 1994 recipients the group donated their prize to a multiple sclerosis charity after a close contact was diagnosed the illness.

"Winning was quite enough," stated singer the singer. "The money was the bonus but we didn't need the bonus, because we had the honor. So our victory impacted another person's life."

Last week, the trust shared it had protected two small stages in that region, by placing them under community ownership.

One venue in the city and the other in that location were purchased under the community ownership program, which is supported by a national body and music fans who buy "ownership units" in the buildings.