The Cure’s Robert Smith and Jordan Rakei to be honoured at the 2026 Artist & Manager Awards

Robert Smith of The Cure and Jordan Rakei will be honoured at the 2026 Artist & Manager Awards for using their public profiles to support music fans and fellow artists. Smith’s award recognises his campaign against unfair ticketing, while Rakei is being recognised for speaking openly about the challenges of building a music career.

Smith will receive the Fan Champion Award after challenging Ticketmaster’s fees and resale practices. In 2023, he helped secure reimbursements for verified buyers after The Cure cancelled more than 7,000 tickets listed for resale; he has also backed calls to cap resale prices and ban ticket touting. Rakei will receive The Artists’ Voice Award, and The Quietus will be given the Entrepreneur Award for becoming the world’s first employee-owned music management business. The ceremony, organised by the Featured Artists Coalition and Music Managers Forum, is due to take place in London on 18 November; the Manager of the Year winner is still to be announced.