CANNES, FRANCE – This year’s Cannes LionHeart Award, one of the festival’s most prestigious honors, was presented to Sonita Alizadeh — Afghanistan’s first professional female rapper, acclaimed author, and fearless human rights activist.
The LionHeart is awarded annually to a person who has used their platform to make a meaningful difference in the world. Sonita has done just that — challenging the structures of oppression through music, education, and activism.
“This year, we honor a voice that has risen above silence, defied oppression, and refused to be ignored,” said Philip Thomas, Executive Chair of Cannes Lions, during the awarding ceremony. “She is a rapper, an activist, and an author — but above all, she is a force for freedom.”
Born under Taliban rule, Sonita was nearly sold into marriage twice — once at age 10, then again at 16. Her family fled to Iran, where she faced daily racism and was denied entry into every school.
After discovering rap — and the music of Eminem — Sonita turned her anger into activism. When her mother tried to sell her for $9,000, she picked up a microphone instead of preparing for a wedding.
Her video “Daughters for Sale” went viral, launching her into the global spotlight and leading to an award-winning documentary, international speaking engagements, and a place on Forbes 30 Under 30.
Sonita performed her track “Fire,” delivering a passionate live set that left the audience visibly moved.
“Support the girls in Afghanistan,” she said. “Support their education. And tell their stories.”
A Cannes Lion seminar that moved the festival
Earlier that day, Sonita appeared in an emotional session at the Debussy Theatre, in conversation with Paul Kemp-Robertson, Chief Content Officer of Lions. Breaking down multiple times during the talk, she detailed the threats she and her friends faced — not just from marriage, but from the systematic erasure of their futures.
She also spoke of her educational initiative, Arezo and The Dreams Book, a secret school for Afghan girls who are banned from attending regular classes under Taliban law.
“Dreams are the ultimate weapon. And this is something the Taliban hates — because they know we exist, and we will not stop.”
Sonita used her Cannes LionHeart platform to make a clear appeal to the global creative community:
“The most powerful weapon is our voice. I want you to support other women. For media and brands to not use our stories for marketing and entertaining, but to invest in powerful stories to amplify the message. To invest the money, the power, the time where it really needs to be invested — in girls and families.”
Sonita’s memoir, “Sonita: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom,” which is set to launch on July 8, 2025, chronicles her harrowing and inspiring journey. She hopes the book will inspire action among girls around the world, especially those living under oppressive regimes.
“Right now, millions [of girls] — half the population of Afghanistan — are out of school. The only option left for them is to get married by force. They have other plans, but the society and the rules of the Taliban tell them to do something else.”
“I am hoping through this book, I can inspire more girls in Afghanistan and around the world that dreams are the ultimate weapon that we have.”
