Each year, the WOMEX Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding contributions to global music on an international scale. These awards honour achievements in various domains, including musical excellence, social significance, commercial success, political influence, and lifetime contributions—any of which could make someone a deserving recipient.
The awards not only aspire to celebrate the past achievements of artists and professionals but also inspire and encourage a new generation of musicians and advocates to push the boundaries of music, creativity, and social impact.
Since their inception in 1999, the list of awardees has grown impressively. Here you can find a list of all the recipients of the WOMEX Awards.
Noura Mint Seymali (Mauritania) will receive the WOMEX 25 Artist Award
Noura Mint Seymali has been enhancing and redefining the direction of Mauritanian music since the 1990s, earning recognition on the international stage for her powerful and hypnotic performances. Born into a prominent line of Moorish praise singers, poets, and musicians, Noura began her career at age 13 as a supporting vocalist for her stepmother, the legendary Dimi Mint Abba.
Fueled by the exploratory sound of her husband Jeich Ould Chighaly’s emotive, psychedelic guitar lines, Noura’s mastery of tradition combined with her impulse for innovation has made a profound impact on the global music scene — not least as the focal point of a legacy spanning generations of female musicians.
For these reasons, and for her exceptional musical output over the past decades, we are delighted to announce Noura Mint Seymali as the recipient of the WOMEX 25 Artist Award.
Syrian Cassette Archives will receive the WOMEX 25 Professional Excellence Award
For 2025, our Professional Award honours The Syrian Cassette Archives for their tireless commitment to preserving, documenting, and celebrating music from Syria’s cassette era, spanning the 1970s to the 2000s. Covering Syrian Arab, Assyrian, Kurdish, Armenian, and Iraqi traditions, the collection features live concerts, studio albums, and folk styles such as dabke and shaabi.
Co-founded by producer and archivist Mark Gergis, and Syrian artist and researcher Yamen Mekdad, the project has grown through global contributions into a vital cultural resource.
Cassette culture once transformed Syria’s music scene, yet many recordings now risk being lost to war, displacement, and changing technology. Through digitisation and research, the Syrian Cassette Archives ensures this rich heritage remains accessible to listeners worldwide.
article posted by:Piranha Arts