The Music Cities Awards 2024 Review is Out: 11 new case studies by Sound Diplomacy
- Music Cities Events
- Apr 22
- 3 min read
A living database of inspiration for Music Advocates striving to create positive change in their communities
We're proud to present the Music Cities Awards 2024 Review, featuring 11 brand new case studies created by Sound Diplomacy!
This report highlights key moments from last year’s Music Cities Awards, including the ceremony at the Riyadh Music Cities Convention, the diverse jury of global music advocates, and the winners chosen from 300+ applications across 25 countries and 6 continents.
It's our way to keep celebrating and drawing inspiration from this exciting global community of music advocates.
What makes this document extra special is the inclusion of 11 brand new case studies on the contest winners. These insights are valuable resources for anyone looking to make a positive impact through music in their communities.
These case studies breakdown the work and impact of:
Best Global Music City, presented by Experience Fayetteville: Salvador City Hall (Brazil)
Best Initiative to Support Diversity & Inclusion in Music: Miami Music Project, Inc. (USA)
Best Initiative to Support Music Education & Career Development: Fundação Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira (BRA)
Best Music Tourism Initiative: Queensland Music Festival (AUS)
Best Initiative Using Music to Improve Health & Wellbeing: Central Florida Community Arts (CFCArts) (USA)
Best Initiative Using Music to Support Environmental Sustainability: Bye Bye Plastic Foundation (FRA)
Best Initiative Using Music for Economic, Social or Community Development: Festival Internacional de la Canción de Viña del Mar (CHI)
Best Night-Time Economy Initiative: Bristol Nights (GBR)
Best Use of Music in Real Estate or City Planning: Main Stage Rehearsal Studios (CAN)
Best Organisation or Individual Supporting Music in their City: Music Victoria (AUS)
Best Digital Innovation to Support Musicians or Music in Cities: Opulous (SGP)
You can download the document at the following links:
Introductory remarks for the Music Cities Awards 2024 Review
"A living database of inspiration for music advocates striving to create positive change in their communities"
Cities may look and sound different.
But zoom in, and parallels emerge.
The way an after-school music workshop in South Africa—like the Kronendal Music Academy—manages to keep kids in class might be the solution to the same challenge faced by an El Sistema Youth Orchestra in Monterey, California.
Zoom in again.
The work Delia Arts is doing in war zones and areas of conflict—from Gaza to Lake Kivu—may offer insights to a project like Give Something Back to Berlin as it refines its music integration programs for migrants and refugees.
Zoom in once more.
Huntsville, Alabama’s forward-thinking music policies could also serve as a model for untraditional music cities—Gold Coast, Sisaket, and beyond—on integrating music into urban development.
The Music Cities Awards exists to surface these stories, to connect these innovators, to share these solutions.
Music advocates are transforming cities everywhere and we need to learn from them. We need to be inspired by them.
And most of all, we need to recognize them—so their impact doesn’t just last, but grows.
This is what the Music Cities Awards is about: a living database of ideas, proving that music isn’t just culture—it’s a catalyst for change.
And we have a responsibility to harness it.
Sound Diplomacy Events and Education is proud to present the results of the fifth edition of the Music Cities Awards, a global competition designed to recognize and celebrate the most outstanding uses of music to drive economic, social, environmental, and cultural development in cities and places around the world.
The 2024 edition received over 300 applications from 25 countries across six continents, competing in 11 categories—from “Best Global Music City” to awards recognizing projects at the intersection of music and health, diversity, education, youth engagement, real estate, sustainability, technology, and more.
The Awards Ceremony took place on the opening night of the 2024 Riyadh Music Cities Convention, on December 8th, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of Riyadh Music Week. Nine of the eleven winners attended in person to receive their awards, marking another milestone in the global movement to harness the power of music for positive change.
Apply for the 2025 edition of the contest:
The call for applications for the 2025 edition of the Music Cities Awards is now open. The Awards Ceremony will be taking place at the Opening Night of the Fayetteville Arkansas Music Cities Convention, on September 16th, 2025.
Follow this link to learn all about the contest and apply:
The Music Cities Awards 2024 Review is Out: 11 new case studies by Sound Diplomacy!
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