Key Points
- Ustad Naseeruddin honoured for preserving and modernising the ancient khayal tradition
- Eleven laureates from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia recognised for blending heritage with innovation
- London’s Southbank Centre to host the awards ceremony later this month, November 2025
- Aga Khan Music Programme supports global education, documentation, and cross-cultural collaboration in music
ISLAMABAD: Ustad Naseeruddin Saami, Pakistan’s revered khayal maestro, is among eleven artists named laureates of the 2025 Aga Khan Music Awards, which celebrate musicians who protect traditional art forms while fostering cultural understanding worldwide.
At 79, Saami remains a living archive of South Asian classical music. Leading The Saami Brothers ensemble with his sons, he has revived microtonal elements and melodic traditions tracing back to disciples of Amir Khusrau. His recognition highlights Pakistan’s enduring contribution to classical and Sufi music.
- Ustad Naseeruddin Saami (Pakistan)
A master of the Delhi gharana, Saami is renowned for his command of khayal and preservation of 49 microtones, reintroducing rare melodic nuances to contemporary audiences and inspiring a new generation of vocalists. - Naseer and Nazeer Ahmed Khan Warsi (India)
The Warsi Brothers, masters of Qawwali, continue a centuries-old lineage that blends devotional lyrics with intricate vocal improvisation, sustaining one of South Asia’s most vibrant spiritual music traditions. - Mariam Bagayoko (Mali)
Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Bagayoko has trained generations in the kora and balafon, nurturing African musical education and reinforcing community identity. - Sahba Aminikia (Iran/USA)
The composer is celebrated for socially conscious orchestral works that give voice to children affected by conflict, turning personal and collective trauma into expressive musical narratives. - Senny Camara (Senegal)
Camara redefines gender roles in West African music through her innovative kora compositions, blending griot heritage with contemporary storytelling and empowering women in music. - Kamilya Jubran (Palestine/France)
Jubran combines oud mastery with avant-garde Arabic vocal techniques, exploring themes of exile, identity, and cultural resilience. - Farah Kaddour (Lebanon) Kaddour revitalises the buzuq for modern audiences, reconnecting displaced communities with ancestral sounds and preserving Lebanon’s musical heritage.
- Kyriakos Kalaidzidis (Greece)
A scholar and oud virtuoso, Kalaidzidis bridges Byzantine, Ottoman, and Mediterranean traditions, using historical manuscripts to reconnect past and present through performance. - Derya Türkan (Türkiye)
Türkan reinterprets the classical kemençe for global audiences, integrating Ottoman music with contemporary and cross-genre collaborations. - Hamid El Kasri (Morocco)
A leading figure in Gnawa music, El Kasri blends spiritual chants with modern performance, bringing Morocco’s Sufi heritage to worldwide stages. - Qalali Folk Band (Bahrain)
This ensemble preserves Bahrain’s pearl-diving songs and maritime vocal traditions, sustaining cultural memory once central to Gulf communities.
The Aga Khan Music Awards, launched in 2019 by His Highness the Aga Khan, honour artists whose work preserves cultural identity and fosters social cohesion. Each laureate receives a monetary award and professional support from the Aga Khan Music Programme, which invests in education, documentation, and international collaboration.
The 2025 awards ceremony will take place at London’s Southbank Centre in November, featuring performances, workshops, and programs that make heritage music accessible to global audiences. The laureates’ collective work exemplifies music as a bridge across cultures, proving that tradition and innovation can coexist in harmony.
