First rock act to be named UNESCO’s Artist for Peace

The chart-topping Mongolian folk-metal collective The HU (led by “Gala”, “Jaya”, “Enkush” and “Temka”) were honoured by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as Artist for Peace at a ceremony in Paris, France, on 25 November 2022. They became the 37th Artist for Peace recipient (from a 25th different country) and were praised for “musical styles and ideas” that “immediately resonated with UNESCO’s values and works”. They followed in the footsteps of stars such as Gilberto Gil (Brazil) and Shirley Bassey (UK) in receiving the honour – first awarded to Japanese violinist Eijin Nimura and Uruguayan double bass player Milton Masciadri in 1998 – and were the first rock act to be recognised by UNESCO.

The HU, formed in Ulaanbaatar in 2016, are exponents of “Hunnu rock” and are noted for their throat singing (khöömei) and for their use of traditional Mongolian instruments, including the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) and the tovshuur (a two- or three-stringed lute). “Through their music, they address the themes of gender equality, respect for difference and the importance of protecting nature,” stated UNESCO in a press release announcing the Artist for Peace honour. “They also promote linguistic diversity by using endangered regional dialects.” The HU have had chart-topping success on several US Billboard charts. They climbed to No.1 on World Digital Song Sales on 25 January 2020 with “Wolf Totem” (feat. Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix), and debuted at No.1 on Hard Rock Digital Song Sales on 20 April 2019 with the same track. Their debut album, The Gereg, entered World Albums at No.1 on 28 September 2019, and the set peaked at No.103 on the all-genre Billboard 200. The HU are no strangers to accolades, having been awarded the Cultural Envoy of Mongolia certificate and their country’s highest honour, the Order of Genghis Khan, in 2019. UNESCO’s Artist for Peace had previously been bestowed on 22 individual musicians – including a South Korean soprano (Sumi Jo; 2003), an Azerbaijani pianist (Franghiz Ali-Zadeh; 2008) and a Russian Eurovision Song Contest entrant (Alsou; 2011) – orchestras, a choir, an all-singing, all-dancing ensemble, writers, painters, a human-rights activist, a fashion designer and a French politician.