British singer-songwriter Raye will be honored this fall for her outspoken crusade on behalf of music creators. The Ivors Academy announced that Raye is set to receive the first-ever Songwriter Advocate Award at its upcoming inaugural Ivors Academy Honours ceremony on October 2, 2025. This new award recognizes songwriters and composers who drive positive change in the industry – and Raye, a two-time Ivor Novello Award winner herself, has emerged as a powerful voice fighting for fairness and transparency.
Over the past few years, Raye (real name Rachel Keen) has made headlines by calling out inequities in the music business, from restrictive label contracts to the lack of pay for songwriters during studio sessions. At the Ivors ceremony in 2024, when she won Best Contemporary Song, Raye used her acceptance speech to spotlight the plight of behind-the-scenes writers. She spoke passionately for the “voiceless beating heart of the industry, which is songwriters,” urging better treatment and compensation for those who craft the hits. In the time since, the 25-year-old artist has continued to push for reform. Notably, her advocacy contributed to a recent breakthrough agreement in the UK: major record labels will now provide guaranteed daily pay and expense coverage for songwriters working on recording sessions – a change Raye and The Ivors Academy had long campaigned for.
Ivors Academy CEO Roberto Neri praised Raye as “one of the most gifted songwriters of her generation” who never hesitates to stand up for her peers. “She has consistently called for better pay and greater recognition for songwriters, championing structural change to protect the talent behind the music we love,” Neri said in a statement, calling the new honor well-deserved. Raye will receive the award at a gala in London, joining a storied list of Ivors honorees (the Ivors Academy Honours builds on the legacy of the Gold Badge Awards, dating back to 1974). For Raye, who famously battled her former label to release her music and has since found success as an independent artist, the recognition solidifies her role not just as a hitmaker but as a leading advocate for artist and songwriter rights. Fans and fellow musicians alike are celebrating the news, and many hope Raye’s example will inspire more positive changes within the industry.
