Produced by Grammy-nominated Bruce Witkin and commissioned by the High Seas Alliance, 2025 Earthshot Prize winner, the uplifting track launches during London Climate Action Week to drive universal treaty ratification
London, 22 June 2026 — Two-thirds of the ocean, covering nearly half of the planet’s surface, had no international legal protection for most of human history. That changed on 17 January 2026, when the UN High Seas Treaty entered into force. Today, on the occasion of the High Seas Alliance’s event “Countdown to CoP1” during London Climate Action Week at Kanaloa House, singer-songwriter and ocean activist EM The Master releases “Don’t Stop Now“ on all streaming platforms: the official anthem of the Treaty, produced by Grammy-nominated Bruce Witkin and released in support of the #60toGlobal campaign, calling on all nations to ratify the Treaty ahead of the first Conference of the Parties (CoP1).
Until recently, I didn’t realise that for most of human history, nearly half our planet has had no comprehensive legal safeguards. This is something we can no longer afford to ignore. The High Seas regulate our climate, sustain extraordinary biodiversity, and ultimately protect us, yet they’ve remained largely out of public awareness. Music is a powerful way to connect, and I hope that this song will help to increase public understanding. With many countries yet to ratify, ‘Don’t Stop Now’ is my call to action: to keep pushing for universal ratification, and to protect the ocean that protects us.
says EM The Master.
The High Seas, teeming with ocean life, are home to some of the most biodiverse and least understood ecosystems on Earth. Over 20 years in the making, the historic High Seas Treaty is the first international law to establish Marine Protected Areas on the High Seas and to set binding standards for environmental impact assessments in international waters. To build momentum, the High Seas Alliance — a coalition of more than 80 NGOs — spent two decades advancing the Treaty toward ratification and commissioned EM The Master to write its official anthem.
The road to protecting the High Seas has been long — but with the Treaty’s first Conference of Parties coming up in January 2027, in many ways our journey is only just beginning. As we celebrate this upcoming milestone, we renew our commitment to work together to transform this landmark Treaty from words on paper into change in the water. Music speaks where policy cannot. We hope the creative force of EM The Master’s powerful message travels far and wide, and brings many more voices to this cause,
said Rebecca Hubbard, Director, High Seas Alliance.
The release supports the #60toGlobal campaign, which calls on all nations to ratify the Treaty so that every country can participate in CoP1 and help shape its foundational decisions, including the creation of the first Marine Protected Areas on the High Seas. When EM The Master recorded the song earlier this year, its lyrics reflected 85 countries having ratified. By the time of this release, that number has risen to 89. The High Seas Alliance continues to call on all remaining nations to join.
EM The Master was invited to write the anthem following the response to her one-woman show DIVE, produced by six-time Tony Award-winner Una Jackman. DIVE premiered in London’s West End before being performed during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week in New York in September 2025, three days after the Treaty reached the 60 ratifications needed to enter into force.
“Don’t Stop Now” was first performed at a High Seas Alliance’s celebratory event in January 2025, which also featured remarks from the President of Palau Surangel S. Whipps, Jr., UN Division for Ocean Affairs Legal Counsel Ms Elinor Hammarskjöld, NRDC Director of Oceans Program Lisa Speer, and Ambassador Rena Lee, President of the Intergovernmental Conference on BBNJ. EM The Master was subsequently featured in Forbes as a significant voice in the Treaty’s journey toward global ratification.
I’ve worked with Em on many songs over the years, but when she told me about this project, the passion in her voice made it impossible to say no. My job was to bring her vision to life — and being part of something this meaningful made it feel like one of the most important things I’ve ever worked on,
says Bruce Witkin, Grammy-nominated music producer.
“Don’t Stop Now” is presented in partnership with the High Seas Alliance, Creative Visions, and Ocean Rising, an initiative of the Schmidt Ocean Institute and Nekton. The single is written and performed by EM The Master and produced by Bruce Witkin, with Executive Producers EM The Master and Maria Elena De Matteo (We Move Waves), and Special Thanks to Kathy Eldon.
About EM The Master
EM The Master is a singer-songwriter, actress, performance artist, scuba diver, freediver and ocean activist. A classical pianist since the age of three, she performed with Lang Lang at the Royal Festival Hall aged 13 and has co-authored a New York Times bestseller with Lady Gaga. She has worked with multiple Grammy-winning producers across a career spanning classical performance, musical theatre, and ocean advocacy.
DIVE, her 75-minute one-woman musical blending original music, humour and lived underwater experience, was hailed as “Spectacular!” by the Times Square Chronicles. In April 2025, EM The Master was shortlisted for a Nekton Ocean Award in the Young Initiative category for her work in science communication, and has partnered with Ocean Rising for future performances of DIVE. She also hosts Deep Dive: An Ocean Comedy Podcast with marine ecologist Dr Max Bodmer, available on all platforms. More info available at: https://emthemaster.com/bio/
- “Don’t Stop Now” is available on all streaming platforms from 22 June 2026 at this link.