Israeli music shines at ACUM awards, reflecting resilience and hope

Little did moviegoers know on Sunday evening as they stood in line for tickets and popcorn at Cinema City Glilot that directly across the foyer, some of Israeli music’s most notable names were mingling as they waited for the doors to open to the 68th annual ACUM (Society of Authors, Composers and Music Publishers in Israel) awards.

In a year of war, Israel made music. Some sad, some happy, some an anthem to the masses. But all reflected, in its own way, the resilience of a people. The ACUM awards honored this music, bringing together industry veterans alongside up-and-comers for an evening recognizing outstanding works and contributions from among the organization’s 13,000 members, in categories within the genre of popular music. 

As art imitates life, so does music, with October 7 headlining throughout. Rapper duo Ness Ve Stilla (Nessya Levi and Dor Soroker), who exploded with their wartime anthem “Harbu Darbu,” were named Discovery of the Year. The song’s title is an Arabic war cry from Syria that has crossed over into Hebrew slang. 

“Get Out of Depression,” performed by Yagel Oshri (lyrics and music by Oshri and Ofir Cohen and arrangement by Cohen and Shimon Yihye), took Song of the Year and was performed by both Oshri and Cohen, as a video played in the backdrop, showing emotional reunions of soldiers and families. 

 “The ceremony will be a sign of hope and unity,” said ACUM CEO Assaf Nahoum. “Israeli creation, the written word, the sounds, and the music – they have an important healing value. Precisely in a year like this, we must strengthen Israeli creations and through it convey a message of unity.”

Awards and military sacrifices

These musicians were not only singing about war – they were part of it, as the event’s host, actor/comedian Zvika Hadar, pointed out. “Some songwriters like Idan Amedi and Raviv Kaner joined the fighters on the front lines, and other artists appeared in front of the fighters in the field.” 

The evening also honored members of music event production company Sincopa, located in Kfar Aza. Five of its employees were murdered on October 7, and two others, 27-year-old twins Gali and Ziv Berman, were kidnapped and remain hostage in Gaza. The Berman family, as well as others from Kfar Aza, were in the audience. 

Yossi Gispan, a prolific Mizrahi songwriter with over 1,100 songs to his name, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting.

Singer/songwriter Dani Litani was honored for his contributions to Israeli music by ACUM’s board of directors and given a standing ovation by an audience of industry peers. 

On the other end of the spectrum, newcomer Levi accepted her award in one of the ceremony’s more endearing moments, following Ness Ve Stilla’s performance of “Harbu Darbu.” 

 “If you had caught me a year ago, waitressing in [Shuk Ha] Pishpishim, saving money for sessions in order to learn to write rap and do music – I don’t know how I would have responded if you had told me I would be here today,” she said.