A final concert that brought together ten laureates, six categories and 13 countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and North America was also held on Sunday in a showcase for diversity and pluralism through music, the Aga Khan Foundation said in a statement.
A Patron’s Award was also conferred. The awards were presented by the Aga Khan, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, and Prince Amyn Aga Khan.
“This prize is a start of a long journey together. You and us, thinking of peace in the world, multilateralism, dialogue, a common fight against intolerance, and music is a great way of doing this,” said the president.
The music awards were established by the Aga Khan to recognise exceptional creativity, promise, and enterprise in musical performance, creation, education, preservation and revitalisation in societies across the world in which Muslims have a significant presence.
It is also aimed at supporting talented musicians and music educators working to preserve, transmit, and further develop their musical heritage in contemporary forms.
The award in the performance category went to Egyptian singer Mustafa Said. Mustafa is also a composer, musicologist, and music teacher who, from an early age, learnt to read and write music in Braille.