From Music Week:
Robert Smith is this year’s winner of the Fan Champion Award, which recognises an individual who has used their platform to both protect their audience and drive positive change.
The Cure frontman has been outspoken on the need for fairer and more transparent ticketing practices.
He has also backed the advocacy of the FanFair Alliance campaign, established by the Music Managers Forum in 2016, and joined calls to the UK government to deliver on a manifesto promise to ban ticket touting and introduce a cap on ticket resale prices.
“These interventions on behalf of consumers have not only helped raise awareness and kickstart positive dialogue around ticketing, they have demonstrated to other artists that they too can use their agency and influence to improve industry practices,” said a statement.
“Robert’s plainspeaking approach has been a welcome antidote to the controversies that continue to swirl around ticketing and live music – not only successfully standing up for The Cure’s fanbase, but actively changing business practices in the process. His stand against online ticket touting and support of the FanFair Alliance campaign has also been exemplary. We are so pleased to present him with our Fan Champion award.
