Changing the World,
One Leader at a Time.

Do you know an outstanding,
ethical, global leader?
Let us know!

The Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prizes award leaders who:

  • are innovative, courageous, dynamic, ethical and who understand global challenges require global solutions;
  • seize the moment instead of waiting for politicians to stop squabbling and act;
  • recognize that borders and barriers—whether physical or cognitive—are inimical to addressing, never mind overcoming, today’s challenges;
  • reject the lengthening list of “isms”—nationalism, exceptionalism, racism, wokeism, Putinism, the list goes on—that substitute for thought today.

The nomination period is open until May 15.

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  • Leaders from any discipline and any part of the world who meet the Prize’s core criteria are eligible.
  • Three $50,000 Prizes will be awarded.
  • Winners join an influential network of global leaders dedicated to seeking the kinds of positive change our societies demand.

Rules:

Nominees can be from any country and any discipline e.g. politicians, statesmen, scientists, educators, social entrepreneurs, CEOs, environmentalists, artists, religious and military figures, and others.

Anyone, anywhere—except for prize jurors—may nominate. Self-nominations are not considered; candidates must be nominated by someone else.

The working language for the Prize process is English.

Submitting multiple nominations for the same individual does not provide any advantage.

Nominations are made in the form below in five simple steps:

  1. Provide us with contact details;
  2. Describe how the candidate meets the core prize criteria;
  3. Share the nominee’s career highlights with us;
  4. Add any relevant supporting materials for the nomination;
  5. Push submit/save.

If you need to edit your submissions, use the link in your confirmation email by the final deadline on May 15, 2024.

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, the breakup of the post-war global order that framed and facilitated the great human advances of the past decades.

We made it; we broke it; and the good news is we can fix it.
We believe that great leadership can bend the arc of history.

What kind of leaders are needed?  

  • Leaders who are innovative, courageous, dynamic, ethical and who understand global challenges require global solutions.
  • Leaders who seize the moment instead of waiting for politicians to stop squabbling and act.
  • Leaders who recognize that borders and barriers—whether physical or cognitive—are inimical to addressing, never mind overcoming, today’s challenges.
  • Leaders who reject the lengthening list of “isms”—nationalism, exceptionalism, racism, wokeism, Putinism, the list goes on—that substitute for thought today.

We believe that exceptional leadership is not bound by geography or discipline. 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 2024, 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?

Anyone, anywhere. Candidates are nominated through an open, online process and ultimately selected by a jury of international leaders. In 2024 the nomination process begins on March 15 and ends on May 15. Anyone, anywhere—except for prize jurors and candidates themselves—may nominate. This means that self-nominations are not considered; candidates must be nominated by someone else.

Can I nominate myself for the Prize?

No, you must be nominated by someone other than yourself. Anyone, anywhere is eligible to nominate a leader.

Can an organization be nominated?

No, this is a Prize for individual leadership.

When are the winners announced?

The jury will complete its deliberations in October, winners of the three Prizes will be announced in November and celebrated at a workshop in early 2025.

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.  

Over the past decade, we have awarded the Prize to 30 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. 

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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 2025.

How do we recognize emerging leaders?

Leaders who have more potential than track record are critical to our collective futures. 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 a dozen emerging leaders from a pool of qualifying applications submitted to the Tällberg Leaders Mentoring Leaders (TLML) Program established in 2023. Applications for TLML 2025 are being accepted from March 15 – May 15, 2024. Visit tallbergfoundation.org/apply to apply and learn more.

That initiative matches emerging leaders with the global leaders who populate our network, including past Prize laureates, in a focused, year-long process of conversation and collaboration designed to accelerate the development of high-potential leaders.

If I have been nominated for the Prize can I also apply for TLML?

No, 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 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 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 the opportunity to collaborate in that effort.

How is the prize funded?

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (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 funds 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 $3.7 billion through over 5,400 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 the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize website: tallberg-snf-eliasson-prize.org. In addition, contact prize@tallbergfoundation.org.

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