Meet the Nominees of the 2025 Music Cities Awards

The 2025 Music Cities Awards nominees show how music is reshaping communities worldwide—empowering artists and driving social change.

From Ulaanbaatar to Bogotá and Boston to Tokyo, the 2025 Music Cities Awards nominees show how music is transforming communities around the world. These bold initiatives go far beyond entertainment—they’re reshaping cities, empowering artists, and sparking social and digital change.

Powered by grassroots leadership and visionary policy, this year’s nominees highlight the extraordinary potential of music to drive lasting impact.

Meet the changemakers redefining what music can do for people and places.

Winners will be revealed on September 16 at the Opening Ceremony of the Music Cities Convention in Fayetteville, AR—hosted by Experience Fayetteville, AR and sponsored by the Levitt Foundation & Come Hear NC.

Join us at the Ceremony and be part of the Music Cities Convention.

Best Global Music City

City of Leipzig, Department of Culture and Arts (Germany) @stadtleipzig

Leipzig blends historic musical legacy with vibrant contemporary culture, offering world-class festivals, venues, and institutions in a creatively rich environment.

Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts, and Culture (USA) @tulsafmac, @visittulsa

Tulsa FMAC supports creative industries through strategic programs, promoting Tulsa as a vibrant cultural destination for film, music, and arts.

Visit Macon (USA) @visitmacon

Macon, Georgia is the birthplace of Southern Rock and Soul, home to legends like Little Richard, Otis Redding, and the Allman Brothers.

Best Initiative to Support Diversity & Inclusion in Music

Fundación Music for All (Spain) @fundacionmusicforall

Music for All champions cultural inclusion by making concerts and festivals in Spain accessible, empowering artists and audiences with disabilities.

Music to Life (USA) @musictolife_org

Music to Life equips socially-driven musicians with tools, training, and mentorship to build impactful, community-based programs addressing urgent issues.

Sina Loketa (Uganda) @sinaloketa

Sina Loketa empowers South Sudanese refugees in Bidibidi through music, fostering unity, opportunity, and resilience amid immense humanitarian challenges.

Best Initiative to Support Music Education & Career Development

Santuri East Africa (Kenya) @santuri_east_africa

Santuri East Africa empowers diverse sonic artists through education, collaboration, and innovation, building an inclusive music ecosystem from Nairobi to the world.

Agency for Good (Brazil) @agenciadobem

The Music and Citizenship Schools project empowers vulnerable Brazilian youth through free music education, orchestras, and global performance opportunities, led by Agency for Good.

United World Shine (Nepal) @uwsnepal

In rural Nepal, United World Shine transforms lives in Tintale through education, gender equity, and free music programs for marginalized youth.

Best Music Tourism Initiative

KOLFEST, Music and Arts Festival (Kyrgyzstan) @kolfest

KOLFEST unites tradition and modernity, fostering intercultural exchange, supporting Central Asia’s arts scene, and boosting tourism in Kyrgyzstan.

Greater Memphis Chamber (USA) @memphischamber

The Memphis Music Strategy boosts the city's iconic music legacy by driving economic growth, workforce development, and cultural revitalization through bold partnerships.

Queensland Music Festival (Australia) @qldmusictrails

Queensland Music Trails brings music to regional Australia, boosting tourism, celebrating culture, and delivering lasting social and economic benefits statewide.

Best Initiative Using Music to Improve Health

& Wellbeing

Sina Loketa (Uganda) @sinaloketa

Sina Loketa empowers South Sudanese refugees in Bidibidi through music, fostering unity, opportunity, and resilience amid immense humanitarian challenges.

Centros Filarmónicos Hospitalarios – OFB (Colombia) @filarmonibogota

Bogotá’s Hospital Philharmonic Centers use music as care, transforming hospitals into spaces of healing, creativity, and emotional connection for young patients.

Playing For Change Foundation (Guatemala) @playingforchangefoundation

In Guatemala City, Playing For Change Foundation uses music to empower youth facing violence and trauma, fostering healing, leadership, and community resilience.

Best Initiative Using Music to Support Environmental Sustainability

Julie’s Bicycle (UK) @julies_bicycle

Julie’s Bicycle and Vision for Sustainable Events, with Andrew Lansley, collaborate to advance climate action in arts and events through shared knowledge and partnerships.

EarthSonic, In Place of War (Multi-city) @earthsonicproject

EarthSonic blends music, culture, and activism to inspire youth-led climate action, transforming cities into sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant communities worldwide.

Joudour Sahara (Morocco) @joudoursahara

Joudour Sahara preserves M’hamid’s rich culture through music education and environmental conservation, addressing climate challenges and empowering local communities.

Best Initiative Using Music for Economic, Social or Community Development. Presented by North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

The Equity | Impact Center (USA) @equity_impact @scalefellowship

The Equity | Impact Center drives equitable systems change in Pittsburgh by empowering diverse leaders and delivering people-centered, sustainable solutions.

Fábrica de Arte Cubano (Cuba) @fabricadeartecubano

Fábrica de Arte Cubano transforms a former factory into a vibrant creative hub, uniting diverse art forms and connecting artists with the community.

ALTAVOZ – Music Program (Colombia) @festivalaltavoz

Altavoz empowers over 2,000 Medellín youth annually through music training, concerts, and a major festival focused on inclusion and sustainability.

Best Night-Time Economy Initiative

Monte Olimpa (Colombia) @bichemusical

Monte Olimpa empowers women and LGBTQ+ creatives in Cali's music scene through training, support, and gear—expanding to Medellín and Bogotá.

Municipality of Braga (Portugal) @municipio_de_braga

Braga blends ancient heritage with youth-driven creativity, fostering inclusive, sustainable growth through vibrant nightlife and UNESCO-recognized cultural innovation.

Nicosia Municipality (Cyprus) @nicosiamunicipality

Nicosia blends heritage and innovation, promoting inclusive, sustainable urban growth through cultural regeneration and creative sector support in a divided city.

Best Use of Music in Real Estate or City Planning

Jazzy Business Consulting (Japan) @jazzy_business_consulting

Jazzy fuses AI, data, and music to drive creative, tech-powered business transformation—blending innovation with cultural impact and improvisation.

Ten87 Studios (UK) @ten87studios

Ten87 Studios powers London’s music scene with 50+ solar-powered studios, offering sustainable, inclusive, and affordable spaces for creative professionals.

Fat Cat Jazz Club Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) @fatcatjazzclub

The Fat Cat Jazz Club is Ulaanbaatar’s premier artist-owned venue, showcasing Mongolian and global talent across jazz, soul, and more.

Best Organisation or Individual Supporting Music in their City - Presented by Levitt Foundation

Red Dirt Relief Fund (USA) @reddirtrelief

Red Dirt Relief Fund supports Oklahoma musicians in crisis, offering grants, health resources, and social change programs across 39 counties.

Sistema de Orquestas y Formación Musical – OFB (Colombia) @filarmonibogota

Since 1967, the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra has driven social change through music, reaching 33,000+ youth annually with free training.

Fábrica de Arte Cubano (Cuba) @fabricadeartecubano

Fábrica de Arte Cubano transforms a former factory into a vibrant creative hub, uniting diverse art forms and connecting artists with the community.

Best Digital Innovation to Support Musicians or Music in Cities

Fever (USA) @fever_global @candlelight.concerts

Fever’s Candlelight concerts bring immersive classical music experiences to 300+ cities, making the genre accessible to global audiences.

Holonic Systems (Canada) @holonic.systems

Holonic Systems turns real-time urban data into music, letting users interact with cities sonically through movement and spatial computing.

Area4 Labs Inc (USA) @hearbymusic

Hearby makes discovering local live music easy, surfacing 3X more shows and helping more people attend more performances everywhere.

Winners will be announced on Sep 16 at the Opening Ceremony of the Fayetteville, AR Music Cities Convention.

Join us at the Ceremony and be part of the Music Cities Convention.