About this opportunity
The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity is a $1 million biennial global humanitarian award run by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative. It recognises and supports individuals who risk their own lives to save the lives of others suffering from violent conflict and atrocity crimes. To be considered, a nominee must show courage, commitment and impact, meaning they faced danger to help others survive, acted with a clear intent to save lives, and made a lasting difference.
What makes the Prize unusual is its participatory grant model. The award directs $300,000 to the Laureate and a further $600,000 to other impactful humanitarians chosen by the Laureate, so the recognition keeps moving outward and continues the cycle of giving. The two Aurora Prize Finalists each receive a single payment of $50,000, which is $100,000 in total. Beyond the money, Aurora commits to a sustained, bespoke 24 month partnership with each Laureate that supports advocacy for local humanitarians, policy and programme work on the crisis they face, engagement in global forums, and amplification of their work through storytelling and media.
The nomination route is deliberately wide open. Any member of the public, along with members of national assemblies, governments and academic institutions, may nominate an individual or a group of people through the Aurora website while the nomination period is open. Self-nominations are not permitted. The form is completed online in four parts, beginning with the nominator's own name and contact details and ending with supporting evidence, so a person in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya or anywhere else can put a local humanitarian forward without needing an institutional sponsor.
Nominations are screened first on who qualifies, then reviewed against three criteria the Initiative publishes in full: courage, commitment and impact. A shortlist goes to the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, a group of leaders in humanitarian work, philanthropy, public service and international affairs, which selects the Finalists and the Laureate while an Independent Observer monitors the process. For a Nigerian or African audience the Prize is worth attention on both sides of the table, because a grassroots humanitarian whose work has been confined to local coverage can reach a global stage through it, and because the Initiative's own record includes a Nigerian Laureate among past nominees recognised for saving lives.
What you receive
- $300,000 awarded to the Laureate
- $600,000 awarded to other impactful humanitarians as designated by the Laureate, continuing the cycle of giving
- $50,000 each for the two Aurora Prize Finalists
- A sustained, bespoke 24 month partnership with Aurora after the award
- Advocacy support for local humanitarians and work on policies and programmes addressing the crisis they face
- Engagement in global forums and amplification through storytelling, press and media so local voices are regularly highlighted
Who can apply
- Nominees can be individuals or groups of people, and the prize is open worldwide
- The nominee must be alive, as the Aurora Prize is not given posthumously
- The nominee must have put their life at risk to save others
- The nominee must have saved a significant number of people in need during their humanitarian career
- Any member of the public may nominate, as well as members of national assemblies, governments and academic institutions
- The nominee's actions are judged on courage, commitment and impact
Who should not apply
- Self-nominations are not permitted
- A nominee who has already been awarded the Aurora Prize as Laureate, or named a Finalist in a previous cycle, cannot be put forward again
- A group of people that is a formally established organisation of any legal nature is not eligible
- A nominee who has undertaken or participated in inhumane activities, including acts of war, genocide or any terrorist or extremist activity, is excluded
- A nominee who holds or publicly declares extremist views, or has been found guilty of committing violent crimes, is excluded
- A nominee who denies internationally recognised genocides, including the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide and the Rwandan Genocide, is excluded
- Officers, employees or family members of the Board of Directors, Secretariat, Expert Panel, Selection Committee, Independent Observer or Foundation members and employees are excluded
- A nominator must declare whether they are paid by the nominee, related to someone paid by the nominee, or affiliated with the Aurora Prize in any way
Documents to prepare
- Nominator's full name and contact details, plus a declaration of any conflict of interest
- Full name of the individual or of every person in the group being nominated, and the nominee's occupation if applicable
- A statement of why you are nominating this person or group, maximum 300 words
- An account of how the nominee demonstrated courage in helping others survive, maximum 300 words
- An account of how the nominee demonstrated commitment to helping others survive threats to their lives, maximum 300 words
- An account of the impact the nominee's actions had on the community or country concerned, maximum 300 words
- Supporting evidence that documents the nominee's work and impact, accepted as .txt, .rtf, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .jpg, .jpeg, .png or .gif, or a URL to published coverage
- An optional closing note of anything else you want to add, maximum 100 words
- Agreement to the Terms and Conditions and consent to be contacted by the Secretariat
How to apply
- Open the Aurora Prize online nomination form at https://aurorahumanitarian.org/en/nominatenow
- Enter your full name and contact details, and state whether you are nominating on behalf of an organisation
- Declare any conflict of interest, including payment from the nominee, family ties, or any affiliation with the Aurora Prize
- Name the individual, or list every person in the group, you are nominating and give their occupation if applicable
- Answer the objective, courage, commitment and impact questions, keeping each response within 300 words
- Upload supporting evidence or provide a URL to reputable published coverage of the nominee's work
- Agree to the Terms and Conditions and submit before 31 December 2026
Selection process
- Nominations are submitted through the Aurora website during the open nomination period
- The Aurora Prize Secretariat, made up of Aurora Humanitarian Initiative representatives, runs eligibility screening in the first stage
- The Secretariat and the Expert Panel review the nominations and identify outstanding candidates who risked their lives to save others suffering from violent conflict and atrocity crimes
- A shortlist is presented to the Aurora Prize Selection Committee for a comprehensive evaluation
- The Selection Committee selects the Aurora Prize Finalists and the Laureate on the basis of courage, commitment and impact
- An Independent Observer monitors all selection and communications between the Secretariat and the Selection Committee
Sources and verification
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Questions applicants ask
Who can nominate for the Aurora Prize?
Any member of the public, as well as members of national assemblies, governments, academic institutions and others, may nominate an individual or a group of people. Self-nominations are not permitted.
When does the 2027 nomination cycle close?
Nominations for the 2027 Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity are open through 31 December 2026.
What are the selection criteria?
Courage, meaning the extent to which the nominee risked their own life, or went beyond professional duty, to help others survive. Commitment, meaning an explicit intention to help others survive, direct involvement, and altruistic motivation. Impact, meaning lives saved directly in significant numbers, and an effect on saving lives in the nominee's community, country or globally including over the longer term.
How is the money awarded?
The Prize directs $300,000 to the Laureate and a further $600,000 to other impactful humanitarians as designated by the Laureate. The two Finalists each receive a one-time payment of $50,000.
Can an organisation be nominated?
A group of people can be nominated, but a group that is a formally established organisation of any legal nature is not eligible.
Who selects the Laureate?
The Aurora Prize Selection Committee, a group of leaders in humanitarian work, philanthropy, public service and international affairs, chaired by Lord Ara Darzi and including figures such as Leymah Gbowee, Dele Olojede, Paul Polman and Mary Robinson.
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