Pakistan’s acclaimed Khyal maestro, Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, has been named among the 11 global laureates of the 2025 Aga Khan Music Awards, joining distinguished artists from across Asia, Africa and the Middle East in receiving one of the world’s most respected honours for musical excellence. The recognition places Pakistan at the heart of a global celebration of creativity and cultural heritage, as the Awards — founded by the late Prince Karim Aga Khan IV — move to the United Kingdom for the first time this November. The Awards will culminate in a grand ceremony at London’s Southbank Centre on 22 November, forming part of a four-day festival of music from the ‘Great East’, presented in collaboration with the EFG London Jazz Festival.