We’re thrilled to share that CCV’s associate director Josh Kohn will receive globalFEST’s Trouble Worldwide Award.
This honor recognizes a non-performing professional working in the U.S. who has made a bold and lasting impact on the global music field through innovation, risk-taking, and tireless commitment.
This award is named after Alex Nova, who—through her tireless, joyful efforts on behalf of bringing people together through music—left an indelible mark on the global music field. It is presented to an industry professional who exemplifies her spirit: artist-centered, innovative, risk-taking, and generous.
Josh will receive the award at Lincoln Center in New York City on January 11, 2026 at globalFEST. Tickets for the event are available online:
About Josh Kohn’s work at CCV
At CCV, Josh leads programs that bring culturally rooted arts to life. He oversees the Baltimore Old Time Music Festival, a major celebration of Appalachian and string-band traditions. He helped launch the virtual educational portal World Cultural in Context, connecting artists with students around the globe. And he works closely with Ustad Naseeruddin Saami and the Saami Brothers of Karachi, Pakistan, to expand the reach of the family’s nearly 800-year-old Sufi devotional traditions through unique apprenticeship programs and public performances. When the spirit moves him, Josh also produces concerts throughout the Baltimore region.
About the globalFEST Awards
The awards aim to promote the global music field as a whole, and to highlight the significance of extraordinary work being done each and every day, season by season, show by show. It also hopes to encourage future generations of artists and arts leaders who will improve upon, develop, and grow cultural programming in the United States and beyond.
globalFEST believes that music can be a driving force toward a society that values cultural diversity as a source of unity rather than division. By moving international music to the center of the performing arts field, globalFEST fosters a robust and sustainable ecosystem for global music in the U.S. globalFEST’s programs catalyze creative and artistic networks that break down cultural and social boundaries to support and share the world’s music through performance, touring, and media.
