Kev Carmody Receives Honorary Doctorate For Contributions To Arts & Social Justice

Musical legend Kev Carmody has received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Queensland and Australian National University for his contributions to the arts and social justice.

Sharing his delight on social media, Carmody wrote, "It’s very humbling and positive to receive the Honorary Doctorates on behalf of our Indigenous culture and the recognition that Indigenous knowledge and oral history have an important part to play in the academic sphere. Again thank you to Qld and the ANU Universities for these honours."

Last year, the University of Queensland opened the student residence, Kev Carmody House, in honour of the artist's life in music, as well as his contributions to the university and passion for bringing greater access to education.

In 2021, Carmody was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame.

Carmody accepted the award, noting the community of First Nations artists who have contributed to and continue to build on the history of Indigenous music. 

“I’m absolutely so proud, humbled and honoured to accept the award on behalf of all of us. Past, present and of course future, because it’s a collective way of thinking, in my opinion, that we all go together and no one gets left behind,” Carmody shared.

“I’m so proud of the young ones! It might be rap; it might be hip hop; it might be reggae; we’re still expressing [ourselves] through the oral cultural traditions, which is songs and storytelling, it’s just in a musical sense. I’m so proud of our young mob with the music, and with dance - that’s an interpretation, too - and art. That’s our way of passing on our oral tradition, and I think it’s fantastic. I can sit back now. I’ve played my four chords, and that’s it.”

With his debut album Pillars Of Society emerging in 1988, Carmody quickly became one of the country's most respected First Nations voices. Best known for his classic From Little Things Big Things Grow with Paul Kelly from his album Bloodlines, Carmody was inducted into the Queensland Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2007, ARIA Hall of Fame in 2009 and received the JC Williamson Award at the Helmanns in 2019.