Elton John announced as first President of The Ivors Academy & honoured with Ivors Academy Honour
22 May 2026
The Ivors Academy has announced Elton John as the first President of The Ivors Academy, a newly established ambassadorial role that will see Elton John represent The Ivors Academy’s global community of songwriters and composers, championing the value of music creation and advocating for the rights and recognition of music creators worldwide.
The position is reserved for individuals who have reached the pinnacle of their songwriting or composing profession and are committed to giving back by supporting the community and advancing the Academy’s mission to protect the future of music.
Alongside being announced as President, last night at the 71st Ivor Novello Awards, Elton John received an Ivors Academy Honour in recognition of his outstanding work championing songwriters, composers and creativity.
Speaking at the Ivor Novello Awards, Elton John said “It is really an honour and a privilege to be able to stand up here and witness all the great talent that has won awards today. It’s quite astonishing sitting back backstage, you see Damon Albarn, and you see Harry Styles, and you see Thom Yorke, and then you see Rosalia, and you see CMAT, and then you see Jacob Alon, who I think is probably one of the most gorgeous songwriters of our time.
To be able to write a song, it is such a personal, wonderful thing. All the people that received awards today totally deserve them, and they’ve contributed to wondrous moments where you listen to something you think, God I wish I’d written that. It’s an incredible feeling to see all this young talent streaming past, and it’s a tribute to music and the British essence of songwriting. We’re an amazing country that produces great songwriting. When I do my Rocket Hour Program, to listen to someone new, and then think, wow, that’s really incredible. Those are the people that excite me. Jacob Alon and Nectar Woode, these are the future generations of great songwriters. The new music that I hear inspires me, and I can’t thank them enough for keeping me young.
It’s an incredible honour to be here today. I didn’t expect all this to happen. I just wanted to give something to lovely Sam Fender, who I regard as part of my family and a son. No matter what kind of music you write. It’s yours, you own it. It came from your soul. And don’t let it be taken away from you, especially by A.I.”
The Ivors Academy Honours will take place on 1 October 2026 at InterContinental London Park Lane, and tickets are on sale.