The Diana Award put the spotlight on 200 young people, spanning 45 countries, receiving the highly coveted accolade for social action or humanitarian efforts at a virtual Diana Award Ceremony.
The Diana Award put the spotlight on 200 young people, spanning 45 countries, receiving the highly coveted accolade for social action or humanitarian efforts at a virtual Diana Award Ceremony. The event marked the 25th anniversary of The Diana Award.
Award recipients were congratulated by both HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex who support this award set up in memory of their mother the late Diana, Princess of Wales and her belief that young people can change the world.
The day before the ceremony, HRH The Prince of Wales delivered a congratulatory letter to all the young people receiving The Diana Award this year.
On 5 December, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex appeared at the Diana Award Ceremony in a recorded video message alongside Legacy Award Recipients Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang (18yrs) from Indonesia and Christina Williams (27yrs) from Jamaica who he met in New York in September 2024.
The virtual event saw the release of The Diana Award’s 2024 Roll of Honour – listing all the year’s recipients: www.diana-award.org.uk/roll-of-honour
Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Diana Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
These exceptional young leaders are transforming their communities, driving lasting change and creating a fairer, more equitable society for all. Their causes and backgrounds are varied, but they are united in their innate desire to affect positive change, mobilising and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps.
Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, Chief Executive, The Diana Award, says;
“We warmly congratulate our new Diana Award Recipients from the UK and across the world who are inspiring change for their generation. This event is special as it marks our 25th anniversary year and our most competitive year yet with record nominations. This new cohort of Diana Award Recipients demonstrate that young people have the power to change the world; a belief also held by Diana Princess of Wales.”
ENDS_
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BY THE NUMBERS_
200 young people will be honoured from 45 countries around the world with 20 from across the UK
Country breakdown
ROLL OF HONOUR
With all biographies: www.diana-award.org.uk/roll-of-honour
MEDIA SPOKESPEOPLE
Dr Tessy Ojo CBE, Chief Executive, The Diana Award.
Tessy is a passionate and practical campaigner who has gained an international reputation for fostering positive change in the lives of young people and the impact it has on communities around them. At the heart of her work is the belief that with the right support and investment, young people are the best instigators for achieving real, sustainable change in their lives, their communities and the lives of their peers.
About the ‘Award’
Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Diana ‘Award’ is the most highly coveted accolade a young person aged 9-25 years can receive for their social action or humanitarian work. It is one of the longest running award for young people that is given to individuals and groups through a retrospective nomination process only. We believe this is special: young people do not work towards our award, rather they demonstrate their suitability through their actions, without expectation of reward.
Successful Diana Award Recipients will be invited to attend a virtual celebratory event, receive a personalised certificate and gain access to a network of like-minded young activists. This Award aims to further increase their already proven capacity for innovation, leadership and social change through access to resources, opportunities and training.
About the charity – The Diana Award
The Diana Award was set up in memory of HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and her belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better.
The charity fosters, develops and inspires positive change in the lives of young people through four key programmes which include; a mentoring programme for young people at risk of becoming NEET, a youth-led anti-bullying ambassadors campaign, a collaborative Young Changemakers programme that aims to reimagine mental health support for young people with Black and Black mixed race heritage and a prestigious award which publicly recognises young activists – the Diana Award.
What is the nomination process?
Diana Award Recipients have been put forward by adults who know the young people in a professional capacity and recognised their efforts as a positive contribution to society. Through a rigorous nomination process, these nominators had to demonstrate the nominee’s impact in five key areas: Vision, Social Impact, Inspiring Others, Youth Leadership, and Service Journey.
There are 28 Diana Award Judging Panels representing each region or nation both in the UK and internationally. Panels consist of three judges who understand the value of young people, including one young person representative. The panels have an important main purpose: to determine which nominations from each region or nation will receive a Diana Award.
Nominations are judged using the Criteria and Scoring Guide which have been created to measure quality of youth social action.
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