Taylor Swift to receive an honorary doctorate degree from NYU
Graduates can expect a "Taylor's Version" speech by the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter
Grammy winner, red scarf owner, and one of the most important singer-songwriters of our generation are a few titles that often appear in front of Taylor Swift’s name. Now, Swifties will likely be adding “Doctor” (at least honorarily), too.
The All Too Well singer will be receiving an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts (or honoris causa) from New York University. She’ll also give an address to the graduates during the commencement ceremony held at Yankee Stadium May 18, according to Billboard. Disability rights advocate Judith Heumann will also receive an honorary degree, and give a speech to the graduates.
“I cannot overstate how thrilled I am to be coming together in person with graduates, parents, faculty, and honorees for NYU’s Commencement. Since 2019, we have been deprived of Commencement’s festive, communal joy, and its absence has been keenly felt,” NYU President Andrew Hamilton said about the upcoming ceremony in a press release. He added, “We reconvene at Yankee Stadium with a renewed sense of appreciation for the act of celebrating together in person, a recognition of our graduates’ enormous achievements, and a respect for their character and perseverance.”
This will be Swift’s first degree, since she basically became a music star as a teenager, and was a bit busy selling out tours. Though, this isn’t her first time influencing the prestigious university. Earlier this year, NYU’s Clive Davis Institute held its first course on the pop icon.
According to the course description, the class was designed to “deconstruct both the appeal and aversions to Taylor Swift through close readings of her music and public discourse as it relates to her own growth as an artist and a celebrity.”
Before she can make it to Yankee Stadium, Swift is set to compete for Album Of The Year at the 2022 Grammy Awards on April 3. After winning last year with Folklore, its sister album Evermore could be her fourth win and make her the only performer to win the category a collective four times.