The latest news: Prince Amyn Aga Khan confers the Patron's Award upon South Asia's most remarkable musical acts; and more on the 2025 Aga Khan Music Awards
Prepared and compiled by MALIK MERCHANT (https://barakah.com/contact-barakah/)
A note about this page: We had stated earlier that the 2025 news coverage of Mawlana Hazar Imam and members of his family would be covered in two parts, as we had done for 2024. We have decided to keep the 2025 coverage to one single page. We want you to know that we are committed to providing comprehensive coverage about His Highness the Aga Khan, to whom this website is dedicated, with utmost respect and value. For stories from earlier years, please click:
- 2024 Part 1 January to July (https://barakah.com/2024/07/30/2024-latest-news-of-his-highness-the-aga-khan-and-members-of-his-family/) ;
- 2024 Part 2 August to December (https://barakah.com/2024/12/18/ii-aug-1-dec-31-2024-latest-news-of-his-highness-the-aga-khan-and-members-of-his-family/) ;
- 2023 (https://barakah.com/2023/12/09/2023-news-on-mawlana-hazar-imam-and-members-of-his-family-prince-rahim-aga-khan-and-princess-zahra-attend-conference-on-climate-resilient-pakistan/) ;and
- 2021-2022 (https://barakah.com/2023/01/09/july-13-2021-tweets-and-links-to-latest-news-on-mawlana-hazar-imam-his-highness-the-aga-khan-and-members-of-his-family/) .
They all contain anchor links for readers to zero in on a specific news item.
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JANUARY 1 – December 31, 2025, NEWS COVERAGE — ANCHOR LINKS
LATEST NEWS ENTRY: November 21, 2025: Prince Amyn Aga Khan confers Patron’s Award at the 2025 Aga Khan Music Awards
Chronological Sequence
- January 13, 2025: Princess Zahra Aga Khan at the Signing of MoU Renewal with IB
- February 4, 2025: Mawlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini passes away at 88
- February 5, 2025: His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan appoints his eldest son Prince Rahim, as the 50th Ismaili Imam
- February 8, 2025: Mawlana Shah Karim Al-Hussaini’s funeral ceremony is held in Lisbon
- February 9, 2025: His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, the 49th Ismaili Imam, is buried in Aswan
- February 10, 2025: Prince Rahim Aga Khan is granted the title His Highness by His Majesty King Charles III
- February 10, 2025: His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan receives the President of Pakistan and leaders of the Dawoodi Bohra community
- February 11, 2025: Ismailis celebrate the enthronement of His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan
- February 13, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan is welcomed by Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
- February 14, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan meets Their Excellencies Sheikh Nahyan of the UAE and Sadiq Sanjrani of Baluchistan
- February 18, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan shares a message about the execution of events since the passing of his father
- February 20-25, 2025: Princess Zahra Aga Khan’s Pakistan and East African Tour
** February 24, 2025: Princess Zahra attends graduation ceremony in Tanzania
** February 22: Princess Zahra attends graduation ceremony in Kenya
** February 20: Princess Zahra attends graduation ceremony in Uganda, meets President Museveni
** February 26, 2025: Princess Zahra Aga Khan is appointed AKU’s Pro-Chancellor as she attends AKU graduation ceremony in Pakistan
- March 7, 2025: Kenya confers Order of the Golden Heart on His Highness the Aga Khan and Princess Zahra
- March 10, 2025: Prince Amyn Aga Khan attends Commonwealth Day Service
- March 17, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan pledges €100 million for Syria’s development
- March 21, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan’s Nawruz Message
- March 27, 2025: Prince Amyn Aga Khan in Houston to review Ismaili Center Progress
- March 27, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan attends Nutrition Summit in Paris
- April 5, 2025: Family members of His Highness the Aga Khan at the Aga Khan Master Musicians Concert
- April 22, 2025: Message of condolence from His Highness the Aga Khan on the passing of Pope Francis
- April 30: 2025: Princess Zahra Aga Khan to be awarded an Honorary Degree by Concordia University and give an address during its Spring Convocation
- May 4, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan confers title of Diwan upon Shafik Sachedina
- May 9, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan’s letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shebaz Shariff
- May 19-20, 2025: Prince Amyn Aga Khan in Houston for Aga Khan Museum Gala and Ismaili Center Progress
- May 22, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan in Qatar
- May 30, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan to visit France, July 11-13, 2025
- June 3, 2025: His Late Highness Aga Khan IV posthumously inducted as an Honorary Fellow of the RAIC College
- June 9, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan in Nice for Oceans Conference
- June 9, 2025: Princess Zahra Aga Khan bestowed Honorary Degree at Concordia University
- June 15, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan to meet with Ismaili youth during his historic France visit between July 11-13, 2025
- June 18, 2025: Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan at Aga Khan Museum for opening of a landmark exhibition
- June 21, 2025: Message from His Highness the Aga Khan to his community in Iran
- June 22, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan in Mozambique
- July 1, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan meets World Bank President Ajay Banga
- July 10-13, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan’s visit to France
- July 18, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan confirms Kenya visit, August 2025
- July 20, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan’s message for the Global Encounters 2025 Festival launch
- July 25, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan confirms Uganda visit, September 2025
- September 7, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan meets the President of the UAE
- September 7, 2025: Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan attends reopening of cherished Chapel in Portugal destroyed by wildfire
- September 14, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan arrives in Bishkek for AKAA prize giving ceremony
- September 30, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan meets President Sisi and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar
- October 1, 2025: Prince Hussain Aga Khan mourns loss of Dr. Janem Goodall
- October 3, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan announces visit to the USA, November 5-10, 2025
- October 12, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan uniquely celebrates his birthday by running the Chicago Marathon
- October 19, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan meets Muslim Council of Elders
- October 28, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan meets French President ahead of Paris Peace Forum
- October 31, 2025: Ismaili Update for October 2025
- October 31, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan confirms a visit to Portugal from December 1 to 4, 2025
- November 4, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan to preside over the inauguration of the Ismaili Center in Houston, November 6
- November 6, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan and Mayor John Whitmire inaugurate the Ismaili Center, Houston
- November 18, 2025: Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan attends the 19th edition of the Al-Burda Award in the UAE
- November 20, 2025: Members of His Highness the Aga Khan’s family attend Aga Khan Music Awards inaugural concerts at Ismaili Centre
- November 21, 2025: Prince Amyn Aga Khan confers Patron’s Award
November 21, 2025: Prince Amyn Aga Khan confers Patron’s Award at the 2025 Aga Khan Music Awards in London’s Southbank Centre
Following two sold-out concerts on November 20, 2025, at the Ismaili Center London, by Triveni Quartet in honour of the famed tabla player Zakir Hussain, the 2025 Aga Khan Music Awards opened its evening at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London’s renowned Southbank Centre on November 21 with Prince Amyn Aga Khan, uncle of His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, conferring the distinguished Patron’s Award upon the Warsi Brothers and Naseeruddin Saami — two of South Asia’s most remarkable musical acts.
Both the Warsi and Saami musical lineages trace their heritage to Amir Khusrau, the esteemed 13th-century Sufi poet, musician and visionary polymath who profoundly shaped the cultural history of South Asia. Credited with creating the qawwali and khyal traditions, Amir Khusrau remains an enduring symbol of cultural pluralism.
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In his remarks, Prince Amyn emphasized the importance of the Patron’s Award, which honours laureates who exemplify humanitarianism and pluralism, encouraging attendees to recognize their vital contributions. “It is especially meaningful for me,” he said, “to bestow the Patron’s Award on these distinguished artists, who have so vigorously shared Amir Khusrau’s legacy of humanitarianism and pluralism with audiences in both South Asia and around the world.”
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The guests were entertained by performances from the AgaKhan Master Musicians, who were joined by the Patron’s Award laureates. Accompanying Prince Amyn were Prince Hussain and his wife, Princess Fareen, Prince Aly Muhammad, and Sarah Boyden, the daughter of Princess Zahra Aga Khan.
The AKMA Patron’s Award was last conferred in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2019 to Mohammed Reza Shajarian in recognition of his lasting contribution to musical heritage within Iran and beyond its borders. His daughter, Mohjan, accepted the Patron’s Award on his behalf from Mawlana Shah Karim, His Late Highness Aga Khan IV.
External links:Please click on the following link(s) for related coverage and photos of the AKMA Patron’s Award held at the Southgate Centre in London on November 21, 2025
- The Ismaili: AKMA 2025 Patron’s Award conferred by Prince Amyn (https://the.ismaili/ca/en/news/akma-2025-patron-s-award-conferred-by-prince-amyn)
November 20, 2025: Members of His Highness the Aga Khan’s family attend Aga Khan Music Awards inaugural concerts leading to the 2025 Awards ceremony
In two inaugural concerts held at the Ismaili Centre, London, on November 20, 2025, as part of the 2025 Aga Khan Music Awards, the Triveni Quartet — comprising Fazal Qureshi on tabla, Kala Ramnath on violin, Jayanthi Kumaresh on saraswati veena, and Anantha Krishnan on mridangam — presented a musical conversation deeply rooted in classical tradition yet thrillingly spontaneous. The concerts, which were live-streamed worldwide, were a tribute to the late Zakir Hussain, widely regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation. He was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Prince Amyn Aga Khan, younger brother of His Late Highness Aga Khan IV and uncle of His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, at the AgaKhan Music Awards in Muscat in 2022.
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The Ismaili Centre concerts were attended in the afternoon by Prince Amyn, Prince Aly Muhammad and his sister Princess Theresa Zu Leiningen, with Prince Hussain and Princess Fareen joining the evening performance. In attendance were Ustad Zakir’s family, delegates from the culture sector, music enthusiasts, as well as leaders of the Ismaili community, the Aga Khan Music Awards and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The Aga Khan Music Awards have partnered with the EFG London Jazz Festival and Southbank Centre in 2025 to bring an extraordinary programme of concerts (https://efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk/agakhan) , collaborations, and award celebrations to the UK.
External links: Please click on the following link(s) for related coverage and photos of the AKMA concerts held at the Ismaili Centre in London:
- The Ismaili: Triveni Quartet mesmerises at the Ismaili Centre London (https://the.ismaili/ca/en/news/triveni-quartet-mesmerises-at-the-ismaili-centre-london)
- The Ismaili Update: Part 1, see YouTube video below
November 18, 2025: Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan at the 19th Al Burda Award
Prince Aly Muhammad Aga Khan, younger brother of Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, attended the 19th edition of the Al Burda Award Ceremony on November 18, 2025, at Louvre Abu Dhabi.
Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the program featured an exceptional artistic performance titled “Beauty in Unity”. Performers from the UAE, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Japan, Egypt, Guinea, Turkey, Iran, and France came together to celebrate the beauty that emerges from diversity and complementarity, reflecting the human values of harmony, unity, and inclusivity.
The 18th edition of the Al Burda Award, held in December 2024, was attended by Mawlana Hazar Imam (https://barakah.com/2024/12/18/ii-aug-1-dec-31-2024-latest-news-of-his-highness-the-aga-khan-and-members-of-his-family/#rahimburda) , then Prince Rahim. In June 2025, the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto launched a special exhibition, As the Sun Appears from Beyond: Twenty Years of the Al Burda Award, celebrating the award’s two decades. The opening was attended by Prince Aly Muhammad (https://barakah.com/2025/11/04/i-jan-1-jul-31-2025-latest-news-of-his-highness-the-aga-khan-and-members-of-his-family/#alymuhammadakm) representing Mawlana Hazar Imam. The exhibition is on view to visitors until February 15, 2026.
Along with the cultural performances, the 19th Al Burda Award honoured winners across all categories, from calligraphy and ornamentation to poetry, revealing the creative spirit that shapes the landscape of art and culture in the UAE.
External links: Please click on the following link(s) for related coverage and photos of Prince Aly Muhammad at the Al Burda Award:
- The Ismaili: Prince Aly Muhammad attends 19th Al Burda Award (https://the.ismaili/ca/en/news/prince-aly-muhammad-attends-19th-al-burda-award)
November 6, 2025: His Highness the Aga Khan and Mayor John Whitmire inaugurate the Ismaili Center, Houston
We have a special report, along with exclusive photographs, of the inauguration of the Ismaili Center in Houston on November 6, 2025. Please click HERE (https://barakah.com/2025/11/07/his-highness-the-aga-khan-and-houston-mayor-john-whitmire-inaugurate-the-first-ismaili-center-
