Stormzy is about to be awarded an honorary Doctorate in Law at Cambridge University, cementing his legacy as a powerhouse in music and an innovator in education, sport, and philanthropy.
Cambridge University confirmed that Stormzy is one of eight distinguished people who will be awarded honorary degrees this year. While he was recognized largely for his charitable work, this recognition reflects his widespread impact in various fields.
Since establishing the Stormzy Scholarship at Cambridge in 2018, the British rapper has provided financial assistance to Black British students, covering tuition and living expenses for two scholars each year. In 2021, HSBC UK came on board, increasing the number of funded students to 10 yearly. Fifty-five students have since passed through the program, and Cambridge is all set to celebrate its largest cohort of Stormzy Scholars in 2025.
Known as the “Stormzy Effect,” the scholarship has caused a surge in applications from Black students at Cambridge, a group traditionally underrepresented at the elite institution. In 2022 alone, 141 students from Black backgrounds were admitted to Cambridge, a staggering 131% increase since Stormzy first introduced the initiative.
The first two Stormzy Scholars graduated in 2021 with stellar upper-second-class honors, indicating that his investment in young Black talent is already producing tremendous results.
Stormzy’s impact extends beyond the world of academia. He has also played a prominent role in sports diversity, primarily through his partnership with Adidas to create #Merky FC, a program designed to enable career opportunities for emerging young Black talent away from the pitch.
But in 2024, Stormzy and Adidas went further by opening a state-of-the-art multi-purpose Merky FC HQ facility in his hometown. This state-of-the-art McConaghy portion aims to offer training, mentorship, and career development to future football veterans.
His participation in football goes further beyond that. Stormzy also co-owns AFC Croydon, a non-league soccer team, with Premier League star Wilfried Zaha. Fuentes, for their common vision shared for the club, naturally focuses on community engagement, grassroots development , and expanding opportunities for young athletes alike.
Stormzy’s Cambridge honor isn’t his first academic coup. He received an honorary degree from the University of Exeter in June 2022 in recognition of his “outstanding achievement in the field of higher education, philanthropy, and widening participation.”
On the same day, Cambridge University will also award an honorary Doctorate in Letters to political activist, philosopher, and author Professor Angela Davis, acknowledging her lifetime contributions to social justice and academia. The honorary degree ceremony at Cambridge University later this year will be another chapter in Stormzy’s fantastic transformation from rap megastar to one of the UK’s leading changemakers.
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