ABOUT HIGH NOTE
The High Note Global Initiative, founded by David Clark Cause in 2018 in official partnership with United Nations Human Rights, honors artists whose work advances human rights and human dignity at institutional scale.
Launched with two founding pillars — High Note Music and High Note Photography — the Initiative recognizes the songs, photographs, and bodies of work shaping the global conversation on climate, economic justice, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, freedom of expression, and the rights of marginalized communities.
In 2027, the platform expands with the announcement of High Note Cinema — making Music, Photography, and Cinema the three pillars of a global, UN-aligned storytelling initiative.
THE ORIGIN
In 2017, David Clark approached UN Human Rights with a vision: a global platform to spotlight artists who use their work to advance social justice. UN Human Rights signed on as the founding global partner, and the High Note Global Initiative launched the following year with two founding pillars — High Note Music and High Note Photography — establishing the first international recognition system for music and photography in service of human rights. Past laureates include Cyndi Lauper (2019), John Legend (2020), and Aryana Sayeed (2025) on the Music side, alongside seven High Note Photography recipients to date.
HIGH NOTE GLOBAL PRIZE
The High Note Global Prize is the UN-aligned honor at the heart of the Initiative — backed by United Nations Human Rights and called "the first-ever Nobel Prize in Music" by the GRAMMYs / Recording Academy. It is awarded across all three pillars:
Music — The High Note Global Prize for Music honors musicians and works that advance human dignity, whether a single song that moves the world or a body of work that sustains the movement at scale. Past laureates include Cyndi Lauper (2019), John Legend (2020), and Aryana Sayeed (2025).
Photography — The High Note Global Prize for Photography is awarded each year through Photography 4 Humanity to images that bear witness with extraordinary clarity. Winning works are exhibited at United Nations Headquarters in New York each Human Rights Day.
Cinema — High Note Cinema will be announced in 2027.
HIGH NOTE GLOBAL PRIZE RECIPIENTS
PARTICIPANTS
