Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
The Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders is an annual prize for people who defend human rights. It is often called “the Nobel Prize for human rights.” The award began in 1993 to honor and protect individuals who show great courage in defending human rights around the world.
Its main goal is protective publicity: to put international media attention on defenders who are at risk, helping to keep them safe through online visibility and advocacy work.
The award is named after Martin Ennals, a British human rights activist, former secretary general of Amnesty International, and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
The prize includes a cash award to support the winner’s human rights work.
Ceremony: The award ceremony is held in the first half of the year and is co-hosted with the City of Geneva.
Jury: A panel of ten representatives from leading human rights organizations selects the winner each year. Members include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights, World Organisation Against Torture, Front Line Defenders, International Commission of Jurists, Human Rights First, International Service for Human Rights, Brot für the Welt, and Huridocs.
Recent news: In November 2023, Solton Achilova, a critic of Turkmenistan’s government and a past runner-up, was prevented from leaving Turkmenistan and could not attend the ceremony. She had also been unable to attend in 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and had hoped to attend again in 2023. No reason was given for the travel ban.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:23 (CET).