No Music for Genocide is an international cultural boycott initiative launched in September 2025 by musicians and record labels to protest Israel's military actions inGaza and treatment ofPalestinians. The movement calls on artists to remove their music from Israeli streaming platforms through geo-blocking measures.^[1] With over 400 initial participants including prominent acts likeMassive Attack,Rina Sawayama, andJapanese Breakfast, the movement represents one of the most significant coordinated cultural boycotts against Israel since the beginning of theBoycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.^[2][3][4][5]

The initiative describes itself as a response to Israel'sgenocide in Gaza, ethnic cleansing of theOccupied West Bank,apartheid within Israel, and political repression of pro-Palestine efforts.^[1] Organized through a decentralized network of artists and independent labels, the movement employs geo-blocking techniques to restrict access to musical content on Israeli territory, with the dual purpose of symbolically rejecting normalization with Israel and applying economic pressure on the music industry to sever ties with Israeli entities.^[6][7]

The No Music for Genocide movement was publicly launched on September 18, 2025, following months of organizing among artists concerned about Israel's military operations in Gaza and the limited response from the international music industry.^[1] The immediate catalyst for the movement was the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly images of Palestinian children suffering from hunger amid Israel's continuing attacks.^[8] Organizers cited growing global outrage over Israel's military actions, which had been described as genocide by organizations includingAmnesty International and theUnited Nations.^[9]

The movement emerged within the broader context of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which was officially founded in 2005 by Palestinian activistOmar Barghouti.^[10] While operating independently, No Music for Genocide coordinates with thePalestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), which oversees the cultural boycott aspects of BDS.^[6] The initiative explicitly draws inspiration from the culturalboycott of apartheid South Africa in the 1980s, viewing artistic boycotts as historically effective tools for challenging state policies considered oppressive by the international community.^[11]

A key precedent cited by organizers was the music industry's response toRussia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Within months of the invasion, major record labels includingSony,Universal, andWarner had either removed their catalogs from Russia or closed operations entirely.^[7] No Music for Genocide organizers questioned why similar measures had not been taken against Israel "after decades of illegal occupation and 23 months into Israel's accelerated genocide".^[1] This discrepancy in treatment became a central motivating factor for the movement's creation.

The initial list of the 400 artists who have signed up to the boycott includes notable acts such as (alphabetically):^[1][12]

• 81355 – American hip-hop group
• Amyl and the Sniffers – Australian punk rock band
• Aminé – American rapper
• Ana Tijoux – Chilean-French musician and singer-songwriter
• Arca – Venezuelan musician and producer
• Beach Fossils – American indie rock band
• Ben Howard – English singer-songwriter and musician
• Black Country, New Road – English rock band
• Cecile Believe – Canadian musician
• Dorian Electra – American singer and songwriter
• Eartheater – American musician and visual artist
• Enter Shikari – British rock band
• Faye Webster – American singer-songwriter
• Fontaines D.C. – Irish post-punk band
• Frankie Cosmos – American indie pop artist
• Grizzly Bear – American rock band
• Japanese Breakfast – American indie pop artist
• Julia Holter – American composer and musician
• Kelela – American singer and songwriter
• King Krule – English singer and musician
• Kneecap – Irish rap group
• Lankum – Irish folk music group
• Massive Attack – English trip hop group
• Mogwai – Scottish post-rock band
• MØ – Danish singer and songwriter
• MJ Lenderman – American musician
• Mike – American rapper
• Nadine Shah – English singer-songwriter
• Palmistry – musician and producer
• Pinegrove – American rock band
• Primal Scream – Scottish rock band
• Redveil – American rapper
• Rina Sawayama – Japanese-British singer and songwriter
• Sasami – American musician and producer
• Sleaford Mods – English post-punk duo
• Soccer Mommy – American indie rock project
• Sudan Archives – American singer and violinist
• Water from Your Eyes – American experimental pop duo
• Yaeji – American house and trap artist
• Yeule – Singaporean-born British musician and visual artist
• Young Fathers – Scottish alternative hip-hop group
• Zeid Hamdan – Lebanese music producer

The list of record labels who have signed up to the boycott includes:^[1]

• All Saints Records (All Saints) – British independent record label
• Arbutus Records – Canadian independent record label based in Montreal
• Angels Records – British recording studio
• Bayonet Records – Brooklyn-based independent record label founded by Dustin Payseur ofBeach Fossils
• Constellation Records – Canadian independent record label based in Montreal, known for post-rock and experimental music
• PAN (PAN Records) – Berlin-based experimental music label
• Tambourhinoceros – Danish independent record label
• Topshelf Records – American independent record label specializing in emo, indie rock, and punk

Following its public launch in September 2025 with 400 artists and labels, the "No Music for Genocide" movement has grown significantly, attracting over 1,000 participants by the following month.^[13] This section documents notable artists and entities who have publicly declared their participation after the initial announcement.

• Björk – Icelandic musician and actress^[14]
• Paramore – American rock band^[15]
• Hayley Williams – American singer-songwriter^[15]
• Lorde – New Zealand singer-songwriter^[16]
• Idles – English post-punk band^[13]
• Muna – American indie pop band^[13]
• Pinegrove – American rock band^[13]
• Elisapie – Canadian Inuk musician and actress^[17]
• BadBadNotGood – Canadian instrumental band^[17]
• Hyperdub – British electro music record label^[18]
• Clairo – American singer-songwriter^[19]
• Nao – English singer and songwriter^[19]
• Lucy Dacus – American singer-songwriter and member of indie rock supergroupBoygenius^[19][20]
• Aurora – Norwegian singer-songwriter^[21]
• Wolf Alice – English rock band^[21]
• Ryuichi Sakamoto – Japanese composer (by his estate, Sakamoto died in 2023)^[22]
• My Bloody Valentine – Irish-English rock band^[20]
• Hot Chip – British electronic music band^[20]
• Shygirl – British singer and DJ^[23]
• Denzel Curry – American rapper^[23]

The movement has received support from Palestinian artists and cultural organizations. ZOHUD, a Palestinian musician from Gaza, stated: "As a Gazan musician, I have witnessed firsthand how essential music is to people's ability to live, recover, and maintain hope. It is never acceptable to use music to normalise oppression or to hide crimes against humanity". Ahmed Eid, another Palestinian musician, emphasized the need to "amplify Palestinian music" during this period.^[6]

The movement has also been praised for providing a "tangible act" that artists can take when they feel "unsure how to use music in this moment". Organizers stated that one of their primary goals was to inspire others to "reclaim their agency and direct their influence toward a tangible act".^[6][7]

The movement has been criticized for potentially harming cultural exchange rather than political systems. Some argue that limiting access to music primarily affects ordinary citizens rather than government decision-makers. However, supporters counter that cultural boycotts aim to create a sense of international isolation that pressures governments to change policies.^[10]

Another dimension of criticism comes from those who question the characterization of Israel's actions as "genocide", with some arguing the term is inappropriate for the conflict. Movement organizers consistently reference determinations by Amnesty International and United Nations inquiries that have accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.^[8]

• Cultural discourse about the Gaza genocide
• Together for Palestine
• Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
• Writers Against the War on Gaza
• Disinvestment from Israel
• Artists4Ceasefire
• Film Workers for Palestine

• Gaza Strip
• Israel-related controversies
• Boycotts of Israel
• Reactions to the Gaza war
• Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions

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