Iranian protest song wins Grammy

Iranian pop singer and songwriter Shervin Hajipour won the first Grammy Award for Best Song for Social Change for his song "Baraye" which has become the unofficial anthem of the wave of protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, Report informs, citing Daily Times.

"Baraye" was posted by Hajipour on Instagram in September after Amini died while detained by Iran's morality police for allegedly wearing a loose headscarf. The song, which racked up more than 40 million views in 48 hours on Hajipour's Instagram account, won a Grammy just as Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also on Sunday, reportedly ordered an amnesty or reduction in prison sentences for "tens of thousands" of people detained amid the nationwide anti-government protests, according to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.

Hajipour, 25, was arrested in Iran shortly after "Baraye" went viral. He is currently out on bail awaiting trial on charges that can carry as many as six years in prison and banned from leaving the country. He was thus unable to attend the Grammys.