The search for the next winners of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has started, with the opening of nominations for the eighth prize-giving ceremony.
Nominations can be submitted through the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity website until October 1.
Since 2019, the award has recognised 20 winners from 20 countries for their contributions to humanitarian acts in fields such as health, education, sustainability, refugee support, community development, food relief, and empowerment of youth and women.
Winners of the annual prize, which includes an award of $1 million, are usually announced in February.
What is the award?
The global prize was established after the late Pope Francis's milestone visit to the UAE in 2019.
The 2026 winners were a Palestinian non-profit organisation, the architects of the historic peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and Afghan girls’ education advocate Zarqa Yaftali.
They were selected by an independent global judging committee comprising: Charles Michel, former president of the European Council and previous prime minister of Belgium; Moussa Faki Mahamat, former chairman of the African Union Commission and former prime minister of Chad; Catherine Russell, Unicef executive director; Saida Mirziyoyeva, head of the administration of the President of Uzbekistan; Jose Tolentino de Mendonca, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education at the Holy See; and Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary General of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
The 2026 recipients were honoured on February 4 – the UN-recognised International Day of Human Fraternity – at the annual awards ceremony at Founder’s Memorial in Abu Dhabi.
Named after UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the award reflects Sheikh Zayed’s moral legacy, humanitarianism and respect for others regardless of religion, gender, race, or nationality.
