Thom Yorke Tells Music Executives to "Pull Your Finger Out" and Invest in New Artists: "Without Us, You Ain't Shit!"

Thom Yorke received the Fellowship of the Ivors Academy at the 2026 Ivor Novello Awards and used his acceptance remarks to criticize the music industry’s financial priorities. He dedicated the honor to his wife, children, and collaborators, emphasizing that he is not a solo artist. He said artists have a right to rebel and create their own paths, but the industry must provide wisdom to allow development, take risks, and tolerate mistakes. He argued that the industry has become risk-averse and focuses on streaming share prices and the value of a few older artists’ catalogues. He questioned the “insane flow of money upwards” that leaves new artists with little support. He warned that back-catalogue focus will dry up and that playlist lip service does not sustain most musicians because of a refusal to offer sustainable revenue.

"“God-given right to rebel and thumb their nose at the business” by creating their own artistic path, “the industry needs the wisdom to allow them to develop, and be able to take risks with them and make mistakes with them.” Instead, “business is becoming risk-averse and unable to help,” focusing their sights on “the exciting share price of streaming services and the insane value placed on the catalogues of a few artists of the previous generation, and the financial frenzy around them.”"

"“I wonder why no one questions this insane flow of money upwards that leaves nothing but dust for new artists.” He said industry leaders’ attention to back catalogues will eventually dry up, and that “lip service” to new music through “self-serving playlist” does nothing to support the music scene because of “a refusal to offer even a semblance of a sustainable revenue source for the majority of musicians.”"

"The Radiohead frontman dedicated the award to his wife and children, as well as his many collaborators, asserting that he's “not a solo artist.” His prepared remarks took aim at the industry's “weird, myopic self-destruction,” framing his acceptance as a call for collective support and healthier industry practices."

Read at Consequence