Lucy Gray
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Gray in March 2019
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| Born | December 2006 (age 17) |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Occupation(s) | School student Environmental activist |
| Known for | School strike for climate |
Lucy Gray (born December 2006) is a New Zealand climate change activist[1][2][3][4] and singer-songwriter.
Lucy Gray is a student at the Hagley School of Music in Christchurch, and was previously a student at Ao Tawhiti school,[5] and Cashmere High School.[6] She is a national chairperson of School Strike 4 Climate activities, including marches for school students to join.[7][8] Gray is also a singer-songwriter who released her first single "Your Name" in 2022.[9] Since 2023, Gray has been releasing singles with producers Andy and Vic Knopp as part of her upcoming EP.[10]
As part of Gray's advocacy for the climate, three marches were scheduled to happen in 2019, on 15 March (which was abandoned for safety reasons due to the Christchurch mosque shootings), 24 May,[1] and again on 27 September.[11][12] A fourth, indoor protest took place in May 2020, while New Zealand was in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]
In May 2019, Gray met with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to discuss the government's plans to manage the climate change crisis.[7][14] She has spoken at the 2019 National Young Leaders Day,[15] 2019 Festival For the Future,[16] and at TEDx Youth@Christchurch.[17] In early 2020, she was a reader at the 1.5 Degrees Live! event.[18] She will be a keynote speaker at the online 2020–2021 Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainable Development Goals Summit.[19]
Gray names Greta Thunberg, Swedish climate change activist, as one of her role models and inspirations.[1] She is the author of "Rise up", a climate change protest anthem.[20]
Other than writing the song "Rise Up" (which was not released as a single), Gray has released multiple singles, the most recent of which is "paranoia of the mind", which released on 26 April 2024, and reached number 5 on the Hot NZ Singles Chart.[21][22] "paranoia of the mind" is the last single before the release of her EP.[23]
Gray has received a New Music Development grant from New Zealand on Air, which is funding her upcoming EP.[24]
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | |||
| 2022 | "Your Name" | — | |
| 2023 | "pretty" | 19[25] | |
| "coffee breath" | — | ||
| "not fair" | — | ||
| 2024 | "we were the scene" | 15[26] | |
| "paranoia of the mind" | 5 |
