Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards

The Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards is an annual international recognition programme run by the UN SDG Action Campaign, a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General hosted by UNDP, in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The programme champions individuals and initiatives taking bold, persistent action toward a sustainable, just, and peaceful future in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Each year, nine inspiring Finalists from around the world are selected to participate in a unique programme of coaching and capacity building, culminating in a live Awards Ceremony where Winners are announced. In 2026, the ceremony will take place on 29 October in Rome, Italy, broadcast globally via UN WebTV and RAI. There are three award categories: the Changemaker Award, open to individuals through self-nomination; the Creativity Award, open to initiatives by application; and the Resilience Award, also open to initiatives by application. Past winners include mental health advocate Jîn Dawod, who transformed her experience as a Syrian refugee into support for displaced communities across 26 countries, and human rights defender Julienne Lusenge, who supports survivors of gender-based violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

• Changemaker Award: open to individuals, eligible for self-nomination
• Creativity Award: open to initiatives, requires formal application
• Resilience Award: open to initiatives, requires formal application
• Applicants must be taking bold action toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Open to applicants from all countries worldwide
• changemakers and activists
• SDG-focused initiative leaders
• human rights defenders
• community organizers
• social entrepreneurs working on sustainability and peace