They come from Pakistan, Syria, Mali and Egypt and want to keep the traditional music of their regions alive. To support Muslim artists, the Aga Khan has created a music award worth $500,000. For the musicians, it is an opportunity to become known internationally. From 200 Muslim musicians, 14 finalists were chosen to compete for the prize in Lisbon. Each artist was required to perform for 25 minutes in front of an audience and the jury. Finally, the five judges named the Egyptian musician and musicologist Mustafa Said the winner. In addition to the competition, seven organisations and individuals who had distinguished themselves in fields such as education and conservation, shared the US$500,000 prize money with Said. The idea behind the award is to widen the scope of traditional music and make it accessible to people outside Islamic cultural circles. "We should see cultural diversity as an opportunity, to understand and to appreciate the identity of the other," said the Aga Khan.