Four Freedoms Awards 2026

On Thursday 16 April 2026, the Four Freedoms Awards ceremony took place in the Abbey of Middelburg. The International Four Freedoms Award was presented to President Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine, in recognition of their courage and resilience in their struggle for freedom and independence since the large-scale Russian invasion in 2022. It was a special honour to welcome President Zelensky to Middelburg, where he received the award from Prime Minister Rob Jetten.

The Freedom from Fear Award, presented by entrepreneur and women’s rights activist Olcay Gulsen, was awarded to Gisèle Pelicot for her efforts to drive behavioural change and increase public understanding of sexual violence. The Freedom of Speech Award went to the Committee to Protect Journalists for their ongoing commitment to ensuring journalists around the world can work safely and freely. The award was presented by journalist and correspondent Pjotr Sauer and accepted by the CEO of the non-profit organisation, Jodie Ginsberg. She was accompanied by journalist Ashraf Mashharawi. Isidora Uribe Silva received the Freedom from Want Award from Lucille Werner for her work on inclusion, equal rights, and gender equality. The laureate for Freedom of Worship remained anonymous this year for reasons of personal safety. Dagmar Oudshoor, director of former laureate Amnesty International, spoke about the importance of freedom of religion worldwide.

In addition, the Youth for Freedom Award was presented for the first time: an award for young people in the Netherlands who are committed to freedom and human rights. The award went to Deel de Duif and was presented by author and documentary maker Natascha van Weezel.

After the ceremony, the Four Freedoms Meet-up took place, where more than 400 young people engaged in conversations with the laureates about current issues related to freedom and human rights. Go to the Meet-up 2026!