2025 HIGH NOTE
GLOBAL PRIZE RECIPIENT:
ARYANA SAYEED
Aryana Sayeed was awarded the 2025 High Note Global Prize for We Believe in Hope — a powerful anthem of resistance, unity, and human dignity. Created with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, with music by Emmy-winning composer Jeff Beal and lyrics by Joan Beal, the song draws inspiration from Afghanistan’s first all-female robotics team — a symbol of courage in the face of systemic oppression.
Presented in alignment with the inaugural United Nations International Day of Hope, the award recognizes Sayeed’s ability to transform music into a global call for justice — amplifying the voices of women and girls denied education, freedom, and visibility.
“I’m incredibly honored that We Believe in Hope has won the 2025 High Note Global Prize. As an Afghan woman, I accept this on behalf of every girl denied an education and every woman whose voice has been silenced.”
Aryana Sayeed uses her music as resistance — standing for the rights, dignity, and future of Afghan women.
“Today, our voices are being heard around the world. And that proves our resistance can make the impossible possible. Until justice is served, Afghan women will not be silent.”
A GLOBAL STAGE
On the United Nations International Day of Hope, We Believe in Hope was elevated onto one of the world’s most visible stages — Times Square — as part of a global moment led by United Nations Human Rights.
Displayed across towering digital banners, the song’s message reached the world in real time, transforming a city landmark into a platform for human rights. It was a defining expression of the High Note mission: when art carries truth, it does not remain confined to a stage — it becomes a global signal.
