Lydia Canaan is a singer-songwriter, poet, humanitarian, activist, and United Nations delegate. She is listed in the catalog of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's Library and Archives in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. as the historic first rock star of the Middle East. She was praised by Billboard magazine as having a three-octave range and perfect pitch, and dubbed by MTV Europe as "The Diva From the Middle East". Called a "high profile celebrity" by ABC News, she works with renowned writers, musicians, and producers in Switzerland, the UK, and the U.S. Canaan is the first Middle-Eastern artist to have her music videos (filmed in London) on MTV Europe, MTV Asia, MTV Russia, and MTV Arabia. Canaan's London-based international release of "Beautiful Life" gained her critical acclaim from the British and American music press. "Beautiful Life" was chosen by Nelson Mandela as the theme song for a charity event under his auspices in South Africa. As an artist with substance and a purpose, Canaan has received numerous awards, among them the International Year of Volunteers Award for her humanitarianism from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Canaan's song "Libnan" was the title song of the advertisement "Rediscover Lebanon", produced and broadcast by CNN to over one billion viewers in 2004, commissioned by the Lebanese Government, to promote Lebanon as a tourist destination. In 2014 Canaan was awarded by the UK Songwriting Contest as Semi-finalist for her song "Never Set You Free". In 2016 Canaan won the award for Outstanding Achievement from the Global Music Awards (GMA). Canaan travels the world, and through her art and diplomacy lends her strength to making it a better one. Hailed by a prominent UN Ambassador as a "Diplomat Artist", Canaan has delivered impassioned speeches before the 25th, 26th, 28th, 23rd, and 31st sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland in 2014, 2015, and 2016.