Elliot Gleave, better known by his stage name Example, has been awarded an Honorary Degree by Royal Holloway, University of London. The Degree of Doctor of Music has been awarded in recognition of his achievements as a singer, songwriter and record producer.
Example receives Honorary Degree from Royal Holloway.
Honorary Degrees of the University of London are conferred to people who are outstanding in their field or who have given exceptional service to the university.
Elliot is a Royal Holloway alumnus; graduating with a degree from media arts, he then went on to make props for the Star Wars prequels. He is a multi-award winning musician, producer, actor and film-maker. Better known as ‘Example’, a nickname taken from his initials EG, he has earned worldwide musical success for his rap, hip hop and dance music.
He released his first album in 2007, before achieving global success with his 2010 studio album - Won’t go quietly – which reached number four in the UK Album Chart and number one in the UK Dance Chart. A year later, Elliot’s platinum selling album – Playing In The Shadows – topped the UK Album Chart and included two UK number one singles - Changed The Way You Kiss Me and Stay Awake. He has built on his success with a number of worldwide tours, hit singles, albums and mixtapes – his most recent album being digitally released in 2020.
The conferral was held at Royal Holloway’s campus in Egham, Surrey, during a meeting with the university’s Senior Vice-Principal, Professor Ken Badcock. Elliot’s oration was given by Professor Barry Langford, Head of the Department of Media Arts.
Speaking about receiving his Doctor of Music, Elliot said: “It’s with great pleasure that I accept this Honorary Degree from Royal Holloway. It was a great day and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to catch up with some of my old lecturers.
“I have many fond memories of studying here and recording some of my earlier tracks whilst living on campus.
“I encourage all Royal Holloway students to follow their dreams and to believe that if you work hard enough, anything can happen.”
