The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced that its 2025 Cannes LionHeart is Afghan rapper, author and human rights activist Sonita Alizadeh. The accolade is given to a person who has used their position to make a “significant and positive difference to the world,” according to the organization.  

The Festival credited Alizadeh for using her platform to be a global voice for women’s rights. She is the co-founder of Arezo and The Dreams Book, a secret school for Afghan girls deprived of education under Taliban rule.   

Alizadeh faced the threat of child marriage twice, at ages 10 and 16. Her story was documented in the Sundance award-winning film Sonita, about Afghan refugee girls in Iran. Her rap video Daughters for Sale gained international recognition, amplifying her fight against child marriage.  

Alizadeh will make a presentation at this year’s festival and accept her award during the final awards show of the Festival, which runs June 16-20.   

Previous winners of the award include Bono (the first recipient, in 2014), Al Gore and Malala Yousafzai.