More than 100 artists have signed a pledge of support for New Zealand musician Lorde after she was criticised for deciding not to perform in Israel.

The letter, published in The Guardian on Saturday, is signed by a range of people including film director Ken Loach, musicians Brian Eno and Roger Waters and actors Mark Ruffalo and John Cusack.

The letters said the artists write in support of Lorde, who made public her decision not to perform in Israel and has now been branded a 'bigot' in a full-page advertisement in the Washington Post.

The artists say they deplore the bullying tactics being used to defend injustice against Palestinians and to suppress an artist's freedom of conscience, and they support Lorde's right to take a stand.