BlueSky Award Shortlist
Initiatives
that shape
relevance
MA Fashion C Saint Martins
Argentina & Germany
The Plenary Co
United States
Tagata Moana
New Zealand
The Old Knitting Factory
Ireland
Mina de HQ
Brazil
Initiatives that
give voice
Open Eye Gallery
United Kingdom
Sankofa Danzafro
Colombia
MLì by Svensson
Sweden
Nubuke Art Gallery
Ghana
Good Energy
United States
initiatives
that expand
horizons
Priya’s Shakti
India
Odyssey Works
United States
MMMAD Festival
Spain
La Tina
Costa Rica
initiatives
that enhance
locations
Banana Craze
Colombia
Hush Foundation
Australia
Museum Week
France
Quinta das Relvas
Portugal
Cine de Barrio
Mexico
Initiatives
that shape
relevance
Aerocene Foundation
Argentina & Germany
Art in Manufacturing
United Kingdom
Milele Museum
Rwanda
Welcome Blanket
United States
Bahnhof Leisnig
Germany
BlueSky
Winner
Aerocene is awarded The 2025 BlueSky Global Arts Prize — selected by public input and a jury of leaders from the creative sector, this visionary initiative fuses plastic arts, earth science, and aeronautics with grassroots advocacy.
Catalyzed by artist Tomás Saraceno and cross-cutting creatives from cartography to film, Aerocene produces visually striking, solar-powered flight that spotlights the toll of lithium mining on the Global South.
Aerocene’s work propels sustainable aviation, setting World Aviation Records powered by atmospheric research at MIT and high-profile collaborations with cultural icons like BTS.
By inspiring change at the intersection of art & science through its initiatives across 43 nations on 6 continents, Aerocene embodies The Global Leaders Institute’s belief that innovation lies at the crossroads of disciplines.
Legacy Award Shortlist
Musicarium Academia
Brazil
Caracalla
Dance Theatre
Lebanon
Belongó
Afro Latin Jazz
United States
African
Women’s Orchestra
Kenya
Styled by Nif
Brazil
Wake Forest
NeuroArts Lab
United States
Timbalé Collective
Colombia
The Angel Band
Music Project
United States
Europe Beyond Access
Sweden
Mass Cultural Council
United States
432 Nomads
United Kingdom
African
Women’s Orchestra
United States
Tremor Festival
Portugal
Liana Creativa
Colombia
Principe Dynamics
United States
Sydney Music
Conservatorium
Australia
Legacy
Winner
The Angel Band Project is awarded the 2025 Global Arts Prize Legacy Award, a $30,000 cash prize supporting an initiative connected to a Global Leaders Institute graduate, with generous support from The Buck Family Foundation.
Co-founded and led by Rachel Ebeling (Global Arts MBA 2023), The Angel Band Project uses trauma-informed music therapy, songwriting, and performance to support survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence. In partnership with crisis counseling agencies, shelters, and safe houses, the organization positions the arts as a tool for care, advocacy, and public engagement. Through this work, The Angel Band Project embodies The Global Arts Prize mission to recognize novel approaches that expand the role and relevance of culture today.
The Angel
Band Project
United States
About
The Prize
Awarded by Global Leaders Institute
The Global Leaders Institute for Arts Innovation equips creative industry professionals with the entrepreneurship, management, and strategic tools to lead relevant, impactful, sustainable cultural initiatives.
Alongside its Executive MBA in Arts Innovation curated by top universities, GLI offers a range of immersive executive arts development programs integrating frontline perspectives with real-world impact. Focused on supporting cultural sector professionals at pivotal moments in their careers, GLI connects a global network of changemakers advancing the role of the arts in society.
GLI is an independently audited 501(c)(3) institute of higher education headquartered in Washington, DC.
