Global Challenges
Need Global Leaders.
Nominate an innovative, ethical,
courageous leader for the 2025 Prize!
Nominate a Global Leader Today!
What kind of leaders are we looking for?
- Leaders who are innovative, courageous, dynamic, and ethical.
- Leaders who might work in dramatically different fields and geographies, but share the recognition that global problems demand global solutions.
- Leaders who seize the moment instead of waiting for politicians to stop squabbling and act.
- Leaders who reject the lengthening list of “isms”—nationalism, exceptionalism, racism, wokeism, the list goes on—that substitute for thought today.
Nominations are open through May 15, 2025. However, nominators are encouraged to submit as soon as possible.
Eligibility & Rules
✨ Anyone can nominate a leader (except Prize jurors and candidates themselves).
🌍 The Prize is open to leaders in all fields: business, politics, science, human rights, entrepreneurship, technology, arts, media, etc.
👤 Only individuals can be nominated (not organizations).
🚫 No self-nominations.
🗣️ The working language for the nomination is English.
Nomination Process (5 Simple Steps)
- Provide your and the nominee’s contact details.
- Explain how the nominee meets the leadership criteria.
- Share career highlights.
- Upload supporting materials (videos, articles, CV, etc.).
- Submit your nomination!
🔹 Note: A nominee does not gain an advantage from multiple nominations.
TIMELINE
📅 March 15 – May 15, 2025
📝 Nomination Period – Nominations are open worldwide. Anyone can nominate a leader who exemplifies bold, ethical, and impactful leadership.
🔎 May – October 2025
📊 Selection Process – Nominations undergo thorough research and evaluation. A pre-jury panel identifies outstanding candidates, and in September, an international jury deliberates and selects finalists to be interviewed. After the final deliberation in October, the three Prize winners are selected.
🏆 November 2025
📣 Announcement of Three Prize Winners – The 2025 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize laureates are officially announced and recognized for their extraordinary leadership.
🌍 January 2026
🎉 Celebration & Global Recognition – Prize winners are honored at an international event and welcomed into the Tällberg global network of leaders to foster collaboration and impact.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize?
The Prizes are awarded annually to outstanding leaders who demonstrate the willingness and capacity to address the complexity of 21st-century challenges and whose work is global in aspiration or implication and is rooted in universal values. The world faces accelerating climate change, disruptive technology, increasing conflict and war, massive numbers of displaced people seeking safety, and the breakup of the post-war global order that framed and facilitated the great human advances of the past decades. We seek leaders who believe they can bend the arc of history.
What kind of leaders are needed?
- Leaders who are innovative, courageous, dynamic, and ethical.
- Leaders who might work in dramatically different fields and geographies, but share the recognition that global problems demand global solutions.
- Leaders who seize the moment instead of waiting for politicians to stop squabbling and act.
- Leaders who reject the lengthening list of “isms”—nationalism, exceptionalism, racism, wokeism, the list goes on—that substitute for thought today.
Prize winners are honored not only for what they have already accomplished but for their commitment and capacity to continue seeking the kinds of positive change our societies demand.
In 2025, through the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), we will award three prizes. Each winner will be celebrated by their peers, receive an unrestricted grant of $50,000, and be invited to join the Tällberg network of global leaders. Indeed, the ongoing engagement with other leaders working for positive change at the global level is an integral element of the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize.
Who is eligible for the Prize?
We believe that great leaders exist in every corner of the world and in every discipline. If you know someone who meets the Prize criteria—an innovative, courageous leader tackling global challenges—nominate that person.
Nominations are open to anyone, anywhere, except for Prize jurors and the candidates themselves.
The nomination process is conducted through an open, online platform. In 2025, nominations open on March 15 and close on May 15.
Submit nominations in the form above.
Can I nominate myself for the Prize?
No, self-nominations are not accepted; a candidate must be nominated by someone who recognizes your leadership and impact.
Can an organization be nominated?
No, this is a Prize for individual leadership.
How are the winners selected?
Once the nominations are submitted, they will be reviewed, researched, and judged by Tällberg staff and a pre-jury of global leaders; the process is designed to define a pool of nominations for consideration by the full jury. The Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Jury is composed of leaders from different countries, disciplines, experiences and backgrounds. Ultimately, they consider scores of nominations and select winners.
That selection process entails successive rounds of secret balloting, which means that all jurors have equal weight in the selection process. In effect, each year’s jury defines its own criteria, and every nominee is judged individually.
Winners are expected to participate in an award ceremony that takes place in January 2026.
When are the winners announced?
The jury will complete its deliberations in October, and winners of the three Prizes will be announced in November and celebrated at a workshop in early 2026.
Why did the foundation establish the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize?
The Foundation’s board believes that many societies, as well as the global system, are at or approaching inflection points. Institutions, paradigms, and societal norms are under enormous pressure to change, but old habits die hard, even if they no longer are adequate to deal with new realities. That puts great value on courageous leaders and innovative leadership.
The board of the Tällberg Foundation—with the fulsome support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)—decided our core purpose must be to identify, honor, nurture and network great global leaders. The kind of women and men who understand the challenges, who take the risks, and who—above all—produce impact.
Since 2015, we have awarded the Prize to 35 leaders from around the world.
The current form and format of the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize was established in 2015; however, the Tällberg Foundation has been recognizing principled global leadership since 2005.
How do we recognize emerging leaders?
We believe that the Tällberg Foundation is well-placed to identify emerging leaders because of our global network, philosophy and belief in the permeability of borders and barriers. We have an obligation to nurture such emerging leaders, people who have already accomplished much and whose future promises much, much more.
Our solution is to select roughly fifteen emerging leaders from a pool of qualifying applications submitted to the Tällberg Leaders Mentoring Leaders (TLML) Program established in 2023. Applications for the 2026 edition of TLML are being accepted from March 1 – May 1, 2025. Visit tallbergfoundation.org/tlml/apply to apply and learn more.
That initiative matches emerging leaders with the global leaders who populate our network, including past Prize laureates, through a one-on-one, year-long mentorship designed to accelerate the development of high-potential leaders.
If I have been nominated for the Prize can I also apply for TLML?
If you have been informed of your nomination for the Prize we discourage you from also applying for the TLML program. Prize winners are not eligible to participate in the TLML program as a mentee.
What is the origin of the Prize name?
In 2015, we named the Prize in honor of Jan Eliasson—Swedish diplomat, former U.N. Deputy Secretary-General, and the epitome of a global action-oriented thinker. In 2021 we added “SNF” to the Prize name to recognize the tremendous and wide ranging support that the Tällberg Foundation receives from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). Under the leadership of Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos, SNF has become one of the most dynamic and innovative global philanthropic organizations—one that uses its resources and imagination to promote positive global change. We are incredibly proud of our collaboration with them.
How is the prize funded?
SNF is one of the world’s leading private, international philanthropic organizations, making grants to nonprofit organizations in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. SNF supports organizations and projects worldwide that aim to achieve a broad, lasting, and positive impact for society at large, and exhibit strong leadership and sound management. The Foundation also supports projects that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as an effective means for serving the public welfare.
Since 1996, the Foundation has committed more than $3.8 billion through over 5,500 grants to nonprofit organizations in more than 130 countries around the world.
Learn more at SNF.org.
Where can I find more information?
Information and nomination materials are at this website: tallberg-snf-eliasson-prize.org. In addition, contact prize@tallbergfoundation.org.
