UN announces launch for new High Note Music Prize to acknowledge music artists contribution to Human Rights.

The office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights has announced its plans to award an inaugural prize for the recognition of outstanding contribution to humanity and the promotion of human rights through music in collaboration with the High Note Project. The prize will recognise a major recording artists contribution to the human rights world through their music.

The selection committee for the prize is currently being organised and will work with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights to select an international artist who has promoted human rights for at least a decade. This prize giving ceremony that will take place at the Honours Concert in London in Autumn 2018 will mark a new annual award that will be overseen by the UN High Commissioner of Huma Rights office and the Grammy Museum.

The High Note Music Prize is part of the High Note Project; a new global justice initiative launched by producer David Clark. Clark has previously collaborated with Nelson Mandela on the 46664 series of charity concerts in support of HIV/AIDS, which featured performances by Bono, Beyoncé, Queen and the Eurythmics.  

During the Honours Concert, the winner will be selected, and their social justice charity of choice will benefit from a Cause Flash Social Media campaign that aims to reach over one billion people worldwide. Cause Flash, the brainchild of Clark, is a digital platform that was behind the Water Now social media campaign in 2015. It supported UN Water Day and reached over 800 million people in 7 days making it the largest campaign of its type in history!

Laurent Sauveur, director of external affairs for the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, announced their support for the project, stating “As we enter the 70^th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the need for people to stand up to protect human rights is more vital than ever”. He continued, “Music is also a force to be reckoned with and musicians have the power to mobilise”.

The High Note Prize is an effort to galvanise the global importance of human rights and at the same time honour artists who passionately use their work to promote and protect the rights of others. Music speaks to all of us and something we all relate to, no matter what race, age, gender, political stance etc. It’s a universal medium of communication.

Scott Goldman, the director of the Grammy Museum said: “Music is a powerful tool and when used to call out injustice, that power inspires goodwill in others and affects change across a broad spectrum of social issues.”

Nominees names have not been released yet, but assumptions can be made. Many musicians have raised awareness and/or championed causes to alleviate human suffering from social problems caused by famine, natural disasters, war, civil rights violations, environmental abuse and others. Some have achieved it through their music, some by using their fame as musicians and others using both. Andra Day is one such example. She is a Grammy nominated artist and social justice champion whose song Rise Up became an anthem for the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Since music is an international language that has the power to inspire, heal and reform, the High Note Project was created as a platform to honour and recognise iconic artists who utilise music to promote social justice as well as to unite human rights organisations with the global community.

Find out more about the High Note Project and the High Note Music Prize at highnoteproject.org