This award is granted as a collaboration between two cultural institutions that believe in encouraging contemporary, innovative, unique, challenging Israeli artists who espouse a pluralistic worldview, and produce works that interrogate essential issues in the Jewish world and/or in Israeli society.
Recent Recipients:
Noam Enbar
Noam Enbar is a founding member of the influential Israeli bands Habiluim, Oy Division, and the Gei Ben Hinnom Choir. A composer, songwriter, performer, and multidisciplinary artist, he creates works spanning music, theater, film, and contemporary art. Known for his experimental approach, Enbar blends choral traditions, psychedelia, and multiple languages in his work. He has released two acclaimed solo albums, The Phoenix (2023) and Aya Ruhi (2025), and is regarded as one of the most original and versatile voices in Israel’s independent music scene.
Renana Raz
Renana Raz, a choreographer, dancer, actress, and multidisciplinary artist, was awarded the prize in 2024 for her exceptional ability to formulate new shapes and formats for art and teaching. The judges noted her wide-ranging work spanning dance, theater, and performance, and her insightful observation of the dynamics within Israeli society.
Shira Z. Carmel
Shira Z. Carmel, a versatile singer, musician, and creator, received the prize in 2023 for her extensive and prolific musical work that skillfully blends piyyut, Yiddish texts, and poetry with diverse musical styles. The judges highlighted her innovative approach to reviving piyyut and her dedication to promoting women musicians in Israel.
Shai Tsabari
Shai Tsabari, a singer and musician, was awarded the prize in 2022 in recognition of his diverse and rich body of musical work that creates intimacy and reflection. The judges commended his deep connection to his roots and his unique fusion of traditional Jewish music with contemporary Israeli sounds, as well as his efforts to bring piyyut to a wider audience.
Dege Feder
Dege Feder, a professional dancer and choreographer, was awarded the prize in 2021 for her fascinating body of work, which revolves around identity and roots from a variety of viewpoints and artistic means of expression. “Feder, who was born in Ethiopia, is one of the most important artistic and cultural voices in the Israeli-Ethiopian community,” said the judges, and “through the Beta dance troupe, she presents the Ethiopian tradition in dance together with contemporary elements, and redefines the Israeli identity.”
Neta Weiner
Neta Weiner, a musician, poet, and actor, received the prize in 2020 for his multidisciplinary work that merges music, art, and education, and for his leading role as a vocalist, accordionist, and founding member of the multilingual hip-hop group System Ali – a unique musical group, consisting of eight male and female musicians who write and perform in six languages: Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Amharic, English, and Yiddish.
A-WA & Maureen Nehedar
In 2019, the prize was awarded to two distinct voices: A-WA (Tair, Liron, and Tagel Haim), a musical trio that blends traditional Yemeni folk songs with contemporary electronic hip-hop beats. The judges praised their courageous musical freedom and their ability to tell their personal story and heritage in a unique and surprising way, bridging cultural and linguistic divides.
Also in 2019, Maureen Nehedar, a unique and inspiring voice in Israeli music and the world of piyyut, received the prize. The judges recognized her deep intellectual and musicological research in reviving forgotten piyyut traditions of Persian Jews and her courageous breaking of gender conventions in this field, bringing a fresh and original sound to Israeli music.
