Indian Musician and Oscar winner AR Rahman has been honored with the top cultural award of Asia known as the Fukuoka Prize in Japan.
The award recognizes individuals who have carried out outstanding work in preserving or creating Asian culture globally. The Jai Ho composer has been awarded for his exceptional contribution in preserving South Asian traditional fusion music, and has been called to deliver a lecture in Fukuoka titled, ‘From the Heart: The World of AR Rahman’s Music.’
AR Rahman has gained international recognition, receiving awards such as the Mauritius National Award and Malaysian Award. Moreover, he is a four-time National Film Award winner and he has 15 Filmfare awards under his belt. 2009 was the year he won BAFTA, Golden Globe and two Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire at the 81st Academy Awards.
Yasmeen Lari, a renowned Pakistani architect is also being credited alongside him for her contribution in Arts and Culture in South Asia. Lari is the third Pakistani recipient of the Fukuoka Prize with Qawwali Maestro Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Social Scientist Dr. Uxi Mufti as the previous winners.