Nick Cave, the Australian singer, songwriter and longtime UK resident, will receive an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art (RCA) on September 23. Cave has lived in Britain since the 1980s and has spent decades contributing to its cultural landscape with music from The Bad Seeds, his novels including The Death of Bunny Munro, his film scripts and the Stranger Than Kindness exhibition that toured London.
Honorary doctorates are regularly awarded to major figures in culture. Stars such as Usher, Stormzy and Lulu have all been recognised in recent years, placing Cave among a diverse list of musicians and artists acknowledged for their influence and body of work.
This will not be 67 year old singer’s first award for artistic service. In July 2025 Cave was honoured in Arles, France, where he was invested as a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres and received the City of Arles Medal. The awards recognised his decades of artistic work and his lasting influence across music, literature and film. Cave has often spoken of the inspiration he has drawn from French poets such as Charles Baudelaire and Arthur Rimbaud, making the recognition a fitting tribute to his creative relationship with French culture.
The upcoming British doctorate will be presented by RCA Chancellor Sir Jony Ive. The college describes the degree as the highest recognition it can bestow, celebrating exceptional accomplishments. Cave will be honoured alongside graduating students in a ceremony at Royal Festival Hall in London.
It has been a busy couple of years for Cave. The singer’s 18th studio album with The Bad Seeds, ‘Wild God’, was preceded by singles including: ‘Wild God’, ‘Frogs’, and ‘Long Dark Night’. Around the same time, Cave also teased a large-scale hometown performance in Brighton for 2026, while a newly released video for the classic track ‘Tupelo’—directed by Andrew Dominik and featuring an AI-generated Elvis Presley which sparked debate over the role of generative technology in music. Cave himself condemned the use of artificial intelligence in songwriting in an interview, calling it “unbelievably disturbing” and warning of its “humiliating effect” on human creativity.
Looking ahead, Cave has announced a solo tour across his homeland of Australia in 2026. In addition, an eight-part television series based on his novel The Death of Bunny Munro is in development, starring Matt Smith in the lead role with Cave and Warren Ellis scoring the project. A preview screening and discussion will take place later this year at the London Literature Festival.
Between French honours, a new album, a major doctorate and upcoming projects for screen and stage, the singer’s recognition from the Royal College of Art reinforces his standing as one of the most significant cultural figures of his generation. His influence extending far beyond his music, inspiring generations of artists, writers and filmmakers who cite his lyrical intensity and dark romanticism as key influences. His ongoing collaborations and cultural presence continue to cement his status as one of contemporary music’s most enduring figures.
