University of Exeter award Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn with honorary degree

Blur and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn has been awarded an honorary degree by the University of Exeter.

The degree was awarded to Albarn - now Damon Albarn OBE - on Wednesday, July 17, citing his “creativity, innovation and commitment to environmental causes.”

He also gave a speech to celebrate his achievement, in which he joked: “The last time I came to Exeter was to receive my driving theory certificates, this is somewhat of an elevation.”

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He continued: “My daughter graduated last week, and it’s an amazing day when you see your child walk up there and receive their degree. Congratulations to all the students, may you forge wonderful careers.”

Albarn also spoke about maintaining integrity, saying: “Don’t believe in anything until you really know in your heart that it’s worth your belief."

“These days there’s so many ways for a single fact to become so fragmented and distorted, it’s insane," he said. "Trust in your instincts, don’t take no for an answer, be open-minded, and go out there and do great things". Check out a clip of his graduation speech below.

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A statement from the University of Exeter said that Albarn has been awarded the honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) in recognition of his “diverse talents and innovative spirit” for the way that he has “continuously pushed the boundaries of contemporary music, opera, composition and collaboration.”

He joins an impressive list of musicians who have been awarded honorary degrees for their contributions to music, including Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Chance the Rapper, and Stormzy, who also received the honour from the University of Exeter in 2022.

In other news, two films documenting the 2023 reunion of Blur are set to be released later this year. Screen Daily reports that one will take the shape of a documentary, the other a "separate concert film".

Jamaal Johnson is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him on Instagram