Culture for Impact
Through the appeal and extensive reach of popular culture—film, music, gaming, sports, and beyond—UN Live curates cultural experiences that inspire empathy and encourage individuals to act for the collective good.
Culture for Impact is an annual recognition celebrating cultural initiatives that unleash the power of popular culture to address major societal challenges and inspire positive change. We have received incredible nominations for creative efforts that tackle issues such as social justice, climate change, poverty, mental health, and inclusivity.
See the top 10 list from 2024 below, and stay tuned for the list of 2025.
Open call for nominations 2025
Help us discover and celebrate impact and creativity! In our annual list we are highlighting extraordinary initiatives for positive change from 2025, across all genres within popular culture. From fine arts to food, music, literature, sports and more—we want your application.
Selection Criteria:
🔹 Culture Innovation: Pioneering the use of popular culture for societal change.
🔹 Genre Diversity: Inclusive creative expressions across cultural genres.
🔹 Global Inclusivity: Highlighting global cultural impact and representation.
🔹 Dual Impact: Celebrating both large-scale and grassroots cultural change.
Deadline: November 10
Find the nomination form here.
The Good Lab by Micro Galleries, Multidisciplinary and Community-Centred arts
Click here to read more
Selection Criteria
The selection criteria prioritize innovative cultural initiatives addressing societal challenges and fostering change:
Culture Innovation: Initiatives that demonstrate a pioneering or significant application of popular culture to address societal challenges or promote positive change.
Genre Diversity: Inclusivity across a spectrum of cultural genres, showcasing a diverse range of creative expressions and innovative approaches.
Topic Versatility: Recognition of initiatives that address a wide array of topics and issues, demonstrating the versatility and adaptability of cultural genres.
Global Inclusivity: Emphasis on initiatives that contribute to cultural impact on a global scale, promoting inclusivity and representation from various regions around the world.
Dual Impact Approach: Acknowledgment of initiatives that have achieved significant reach while also recognizing the nuanced impact of smaller-scale efforts that contribute profoundly to cultural change.
Music
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Film & Television
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Performance Arts
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Fine Arts
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Food
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Literature & Comics
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Fashion
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Social Media and Digital Culture Genres
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Gaming
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Sports
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Music 〰️ Film & Television 〰️ Performance Arts 〰️ Fine Arts 〰️ Food 〰️ Literature & Comics 〰️ Fashion 〰️ Social Media and Digital Culture Genres 〰️ Gaming 〰️ Sports 〰️
Culture for Impact 2023
Backed by science, we know that popular culture can help shape norms, behaviours and opinions. Popular culture is a powerful - yet untapped - way to meet people in their everyday lives. It exposes us to fresh perspectives and makes us relate to global challenges in a different light.
With the UN Live Culture for Impact List 2023, we spotlighted some of the most inspiring and impactful initiatives and work that we encountered in 2023 through our cultural programmes, partnerships and co-creations across the world, linking arts and culture with positive change.
See the 2023 list here.
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