Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity Grant

Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Aurora Humanitarian Initiative
Amount: US $1,000,000
Last Updated: March 24, 2026

Summary

The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity honors individuals who take extraordinary risks to save others in times of crisis. This prestigious award, established by the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, offers a $1 million prize to support humanitarian efforts. Nominations are open to the public, encouraging recognition of those who have made significant sacrifices for the sake of humanity. The selection process involves a rigorous review by a committee of experts, ensuring that deserving candidates are acknowledged for their impactful contributions.

Overview

NOTE: Nominations for the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity are currently open and will remain open until the end of the year. The exact deadline has not yet been determined by the funder. Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative announced the opening of the nomination period for the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity and called for putting forward inspiring humanitarians from across the globe. The announcement was made during a special event at the Matenadaran, where the names of 2021 Aurora Humanitarians were also revealed in accordance with the tradition. The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity is a global humanitarian award, whose mission is to recognize and support those who risk their own lives, health or freedom to save the lives, health or freedom of others suffering as a result of violent conflict, atrocity crimes or other major human rights violations. On behalf of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide and in gratitude to their saviors, an Aurora Prize Laureate receives a US $1,000,000 award and a unique opportunity to continue the cycle of giving by supporting the organizations that help people in need. “Being named the 2020 Aurora Prize Laureates has helped us immensely – it added value to our efforts and opened so many doors for us to further increase our impact. In our line of work, support means so much. That is why we encourage everyone, wherever they may live, to nominate the people who inspire them for this award. You never know, it might just be the help your hero or heroine needs right now,” said Ilwad Elman who leads the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre in Somalia together with her mother Fartuun Adan. Fartuun Adan and Ilwad Elman became the Aurora Prize Laureates in 2020, after being chosen among other 585 unique candidates nominated for the Prize. About the Prize Any person can submit a nomination for candidates they believe have overcome great personal challenges to help others. Each nomination is reviewed by a panel of professionals and experts in the humanitarian field. The Aurora Humanitarians and the Prize Laureate are then chosen from the shortlisted nominees by the Aurora Prize Selection Committee comprised of Noble Prize Laureates, former high officials and global human rights activists. A more detailed description of the Aurora Prize criteria and selection process is available here. Nominations are carefully vetted and reviewed through a rigorous process. The Laureate is determined by the Selection Committee based on the following criteria: Courage  - The extent to which the Nominee’s actions demonstrate:  Courage in helping others survive Having overcome significant risks for the sake of helping others survive Going beyond the call of duty of professional obligations for the sake of helping others survive Commitment  - The extent to which the Nominee’s actions demonstrate: An explicit intention to help others survive A direct involvement in helping others survive A commitment to common moral values such as integrity, freedom, justice, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility and compassion Impact  - The extent to which the Nominee’s actions demonstrate: An impact on saving lives A long-term effect in saving lives Inspiration to others to save lives, directly or indirectly Saving lives of a large number of individuals Any members of the public, as well as members of national assemblies, governments, academic and other institutions, can nominate candidates for the Aurora Prize.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Members of the public, as well as members of national assemblies, governments, academic institutions and others, may nominate an individual or group of people for the Prize, with consideration of the following requirements:The Nominator may not be an officer or employee or any other individual receiving remuneration for his or her services from the Nominee or any party affiliated with the Aurora Prize (Secretariat, Selection Committee, and Independent Observer).The Nominator may not be a family member or an officer or employee of the Nominee.Self-nominations are not permitted.Selection Committee members and their families are ineligible to submit nominations. However, Selection Committee members may invite and encourage nominations from the public and specifically reach out to organizations working in the field.Any individual or group that perform(s) an extraordinary act of humanity may be nominated to receive the Aurora Prize. The Aurora Prize Laureate is recognized for the exceptional impact their actions have made in preserving human life in the face of adversity, risking their health, freedom, reputation or livelihood.