The Cure's Robert Smith honoured for his fight against ticket price gouging: "He changed the rules of the industry"

Robert Smith and Jordan Rakei will be among the honourees at the Artist & Manager Awards 2026, the awards organised by the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) and the Music Managers Forum (MMF), which celebrate the relationship between artists and managers and the commitment to a fairer music industry. The ceremony will take place on 18 November at the Bloomsbury Big Top in London. The frontman of The Cure will receive the Fan Champion Award, given to artists who stand out for protecting their audience. The recognition is driven above all by Smith's campaign against unfair ticketing practices. In 2023, the English musician harshly criticised Ticketmaster for additional fees, which in some cases exceeded the face value of the tickets. After getting more than 7,000 tickets that had ended up on secondary resale sites cancelled, he also managed to secure refunds from the company for buyers hit by excessive charges.

Smith has also spoken out against dynamic pricing, the system that makes prices fluctuate according to demand, calling it a "scam" fuelled by greed. More recently, he has backed the FanFair Alliance's campaign calling on the British government for tougher measures against touting and a cap on resale prices.
Jordan Rakei, meanwhile, will receive the Artists' Voice Award for his commitment to speaking openly about the struggles of building a career in music. The New Zealand singer-songwriter and producer has publicly addressed issues such as relationships with record labels, financial pressures and the sustainability of creative work, sharing experiences and advice with emerging artists through social media and masterclasses.

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"Both of these awards recognise artists who have generously used their platform for the greater good", said David Martin, CEO of the FAC, pointing out that Smith has managed not only to defend Cure fans but also to bring about real change in certain business practices. He also praised Rakei's transparency and willingness to share knowledge at a time of growing financial hardship for musicians.
Other winners on the night include Portishead, Jamie Cullum alongside Rockstar Management and Raw Power Management. Another award will go to The Quietus, which will receive the Entrepreneur Award. In the running for Manager Of The Year are, among others, representatives of artists including Olivia Dean, Sam Fender, Ben Howard, Ren and PinkPantheress.

For Robert Smith, the award comes at the end of yet another intense touring season with The Cure, who spent the summer playing concerts and festivals across the UK and Europe, including the Isle Of Wight Festival, Poland's Open'er Festival and major outdoor shows in Manchester and Edinburgh. At some of the dates, Eden Gallup stood in on bass for her father Simon, who was temporarily unavailable for health reasons.

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