PinkPantheress gets honorary university degree

PinkPantheress performed at Glastonbury music festival last month

Singer PinkPantheress is to receive an honorary degree from the University of Kent.

The Canterbury-raised musician, who kickstarted her career on social media, is to be recognised for her contribution to and achievements in music in the digital age.

The three-time Brit Award nominee – whose real name is Victoria Beverley Walker – will be made a Doctor of Music at Canterbury Cathedral during one of the university's graduation ceremonies on Tuesday.

"I am so honoured to get this, this is so cool," the 22-year-old said.

PinkPantheress shared her first song, the Michael Jackson-sampling Just A Waste, on TikTok on Christmas Day in 2020.

Over the next 18 months, she shared 15-second online snippets of her works-in-progress.

Since then, she has signed with record label Parlophone.

Internationally known for her Top 40 singles Just for Me, Pain and Boy's a Liar, she has won BBC's Sound of 2022 poll and Best Female Act at the MOBO awards in the same year. She also performed at Glastonbury last month.

However, she posted on social media that years of exposure to loud music had left her 80% deaf in her right ear.

And last year she cancelled a number of tour dates, stating that she had to "focus on my physical health and overall wellbeing".

Others receiving honorary degrees throughout the week include writer Sir Michael Morpurgo MBE, presenter Iain Dale, filmmaker and former actress Andrea Arnold and conservationist Giles Clark.