Ellie Goulding has celebrated being honoured with an MBE, and shared her praise for the countless women working on climate protection.
The pop star has been a longtime advocate for environmental issues, and back in 2017 was appointed a global goodwill ambassador for the UN Environment Programme.
She is now a global environmental ambassador and an ambassador for the WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature), and has made numerous efforts to raise awareness and spark change in recent years. These include pushing for a more eco-friendly fashion industry in 2018, speaking to leading figures at the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference later that year, and taking part in 2019’s One Young World Summit in 2019 (as per BBC).
She has also teamed up with Sir David Attenborough for the Our Planet series in recent years, founded The Marylebone Project to help homeless women, and performed alongside Beyoncé at the 2013, female-led Chime For Change concert.
Now, she has been recognised for her services to biodiversity and the climate, and been made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
She was part of the King’s New Year Honours for 2026, named alongside Idris Elba and England women’s football coach Sarina Weigman. Taking to Instagram, Goulding shared her gratitude for the honour, and used the post to celebrate many other women who have made a difference.
“From the get go I have been guided and helped by women in this space,” she began. “Last year we really saw and felt how much the climate and nature crisis is intensifying. But we continue to be carried forward by the incredible women holding the line – scientists, activists, lawyers, communicators, teachers, farmers, mothers, aunties, Indigenous leaders, and youth voices.”
The ‘Lights’ singer continued: “The talent pool is deep, fearless, and just keeps charging forwards. I am lifted on the shoulders of giants. Extremely proud. Thank you for the tremendous amount of love and congratulations.”
Among the names she highlighted was British environmental activist and primatologist, Dr. Jane Goodall, who passed away last October, aged 91. She also named climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, fashion designer Stella McCartney, and singer Billie Eilish. Over the years, McCartney has strived to pave the way for a more eco-conscious fashion industry, and Eilish has continuously used her platform to highlight the climate crisis.
Check out the full post, along with the full list of names, above.
The post from Goulding comes just two months after she released the liberating new single ‘Destiny’ as the first taster of her upcoming album. Around the time, she also told NME about how she was finding inspiration following a dark period, considering a career in the film industry, and shared her respect for Lily Allen.
Speaking about the latter’s latest album, ‘West End Girl’, Goulding said: “I really love the honesty of it, and I think that it’s really important that female artists today can be completely open about their lives.
“There have been many songs by male artists that I remember from when I was younger that touched on things in their lives. Talking about how they had been slighted by women and scorned by women, so I really love this era right now of total transparency, because it’s what people want to hear.”
She also opened up about her evolution as an artist over the years, and the pressure to lay personal issues on the line in her songwriting.
“I think fans grow close to you as an artist if you are just authentic in what you do,” she explained. “Listeners aren’t stupid; they know when you’re doing something inauthentic. I think my fans knew that with ‘Higher Than Heaven’ – because, to me, it sounds like me doing an AI album. When I listen to it back, I’m like, ‘This just doesn’t sound like me… but, but for whatever reason, I needed to do that at that time’.
“I remember saying it was my least personal record. Now though, I can say for sure that this new album is very much the antithesis of that.”
Check out the full interview here.
English (US) · 