WOMEX 25 Awards Ceremony
- 21-25 OCT 2026
- Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Since the introduction of the WOMEX Award in 1999, the list of extraordinary artists and professionals from our community deserving of this special praise has continued to grow. The award honours exceptional achievements in global music on the international level; musical excellence, social importance, commercial success, political impact, lifetime achievement – any or all of these might make one a worthy recipient.
This year's Awards moderators are Mercedes Caxaj (Guatemala/Canada) and Wozzy Brewster OBE FRSA (UK).
WOMEX 26 Awards honours the following artists, organisations and labels:
WOMEX AWARDS 2026
Artist Award
The award recognises the achievements of an individual artist or a musical group, and celebrates those who excel in the mastery of musical craft, who embody artistic distinction, dynamism and creativity, who use music as a medium of positive change, and offer a unique and committed vision.
Professional Excellence Award
The award honours exceptional achievements of an individual, group or an organisation in music. Musical excellence, cultural significance, advocacy and activism, lifetime achievement and a commercial success without compromise are all elements that may determine the Award Recipient.
About the Award
The WOMEX Award is an ancient mother goddess statue, dating back about 6000 years to the Neolithic age. It was found in Haçilar in modern-day Turkey and bears witness to the existence of a matriarchal society. Such a female goddess appears in many ancient mythologies as an initial primal figure, representing fertility and procreation either as the earth itself or as a mother giving birth to the world and all the creatures in it.
Honouring musical creativity, the statuette represents WOMEX’s tributes to the Award recipients.
