"Freedom of expression is the ultimate freedom.  It means the freedom to live, to think, to love and be loved, to be secure, to be happy...."

So said Pakistani campaigner Shahzad Ahmad accepting the Advocacy Award at this year's Freedom of Expression Awards in London last week.

Shahzad Ahmad (photo: Alex Brenner)

Index on Censorship annual awards ceremony, honours the bravery, and dogged determination of campaigners, journalists and digital activists around the world who put their passion and commitment to free speech before their own personal safety, who challenge governments, gangs, and corporate interests who threaten freedom of expression.

Our podcast gives you a brief insight into the courage of the nominees, and finishes with a great song from Egyptian hip hop artist Mayam Mahmoud (pictured) who addresses issues such as sexual harassment and women's rights in Egypt through her music.  Mayam won the Arts Award.  You'll find more information on the Awards on the Index website.

Advocacy Award nominees

Colectivo Chuhcan, a mental health pressure group from Mexico

Rommy Mom, Nigeria's leading human rights lawyer

Generation Wave Institute from Burma who promote democratic engagment in Burma

Shahzad Ahmad, cyber freedom activist from Pakistan (winner)

Journalism Award nominees

Abdulelah Haider Shaye imprisoned for reporting on drone strikes in Yemen

Callum Macrae and C4 News who documented the truth about Sri Lankan Human Rights abuses

Azadliq - one of the few remaining independent newspapers in Azerbaijan (winner)

Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras  for their work on the NSA surveillance

Dina Meza and investigative journalist from Honduras

Digital Activism nominees

Edward Snowden who leaked the documents uncovering the mass surveillance by NSA and GCHQ

Free Weibo, the uncensored version of China's social network, SinaWeibo

Shubhranshu Choudhary who set up a mobile phone news service in rural India (winner)

Tails, a free open source encryption tool that protects journalists and sources in any country

Arts  Award nominees (this section was introduced by playwright Howard Brenton, who you can hear on the podcast)

David Cecil, imprisoned in Uganda for producing a 'pro-gay' play

Meltem Arikan, playwright, whose play 'Mi Minor' enraged the Turkish Government

Lucien Bourjeily, Lebanese playwright who confronted the Lebanese Censorship Bureau

Mayam Mahmoud, Egyptian hip artist and women's right campaigner (winner)

 Photo of Mayam Mahmoud by Alex Brenner

Mayam's song

Girls in our society are divided

Into those who wear the niqab, those who wear the veil

And those who are in between

There are a lot of cases that depend on the girl

How she dresses

And how she looks

But this is not the rule

How can you judge me

By my hair or by my veil?

If one day you look at me

I am not going to be the one

Hiding her/my embarrassment

You cat call and you harass

Thinking this is right not wrong

Even if these are words

This is not the kind of treatment

These are stones

It is not her clothing that is inappropriate or wrong

It’s this way of thinking which is

Sometimes the clothing is too much

But you are the one to blame

One look can be could hurt

And it is not right of you to be staring

You deserve to be slapped twice on the face

Femininity in Egypt is divided into two parts

There is a difference between what men and women consider

And both are wrong

Who said that femininity is about dresses

Femininity is about intelligence and intellect