Music carries identity. It connects communities to their histories and to each other, across cultures, generations and geographies.

For 25 years, the Aga Khan Music Programme (AKMP) has worked to ensure that musical heritage across the world where Muslims have a significant presence is not only preserved, but taught, performed and shared. From Central Asia to West Africa, from South Asia to the Middle East and North Africa, AKMP partners with musicians, educators and arts communities to support music that is rooted in tradition, yet not constrained by it.

Music education is central to the Programme’s work. More than 30,000 students have learned about the music traditions of their countries and regions through AKMP’s schools and mentorship programmes. Over 40,000 musicians and musical educators have been supported across the network.

The Aga Khan Music Awards celebrate the most exceptional of these contributions – recognising creativity, promise and enterprise in music performance, education, preservation and revitalisation. Thirty-six laureates have been honoured to date across three award cycles. In each cycle, recipients share a $500,000 prize fund. Their work, alongside AKMP’s growing portfolio of recordings, films, publications and educational materials, represents two decades of commitment to living musical heritage.