The 2026 Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize for emerging young Leaders (USD 10,000 prize and Fully Funded

Democracy, however, is in retreat in many parts of the world, with catastrophic consequences, including the toppling of democratically elected governments, the rise of populist and authoritarian leaders on all continents, and outbreaks of conflict and war.

Considering the deteriorating state of democracy globally, the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize seeks to identify and commend inspiring young people who have shown exceptional commitment to protecting and advancing democracy in their countries.

• Be aged between 18 – 30 at the time of the application.
• Have demonstrated capacity for leadership.
• Be willing and able to participate in public activities in the context of the Athens Democracy Forum and One Young World Summit 2026.
• Submit a short video outlining your work defending democracy, and why you have chosen to engage in it.
• Submit your application in English.
• Submit a letter of support written and signed by an organisation recognised in the field of protecting and advancing democracy*. The individual writing your letter of support should be someone who knows you and is familiar with your work. The individual must not be a family member, personal friend, an employee or co-founder of your organisation (if you are also a co-founder). In their letter of support, the individual must:
  • State their full name, organisation and title.
  • Explain how they know you and for how long they have known you.
  • Explain their understanding of your role.
  • Explain why they believe your work helps protect and advance democracy.
  • Write the letter in English.

* You must have explicit consent from the individual supporting your application to share their personal details with One Young World. The name and organisation of the individual supporting your application may be shared with relevant third-parties involved in the selection process. You must obtain consent to share these details for this purpose.

Evaluation Criteria

An independent judging panel reviews a shortlist of applications and selects the award recipient. The judging panel will consider the following when deciding the winner:

• Impact: The applicant’s actions had a demonstrated outcome, for instance, a change in policy in a given country, the rate of participation in elections, the number of people reached through a specific campaign, the number of users of a specific application, the number of students gaining a wider understanding of the importance of the democratic process, the number of community associations engaged in an educational campaign etc.
• Innovation: The innovative character of these actions.
• Sustainability: Whether the applicant has advanced the cause of democracy and human rights for a sustained period of one-year minimum, and whether these actions are sustainable over time and replicable in other contexts;
• Values: The values displayed by the applicant through their actions.
• Benefit: The added value the Award could bring to the applicant in terms of international notoriety and support.