Canon EMEA continues its sponsorship of the Canon Young Champion of the Year category at the Global Good Awards for the sixth year running to highlight the achievements of young campaigners.
The Canon Young Champion of the Year Award recognises young leaders who are driving positive change across any area of sustainability and uses their examples to encourage others to take action. The award started as an extension of the Canon EMEA Young People Programme, which gives young people the knowledge, skills and confidence to tackle sustainability issues that matter to them using creativity and critical thinking. Entries for the Canon Young Champion of the Year category close on 9 May 2025.
This year’s applications will be assessed by a panel of inspiring judges, including Amy Brereton, Executive Director, Enactus, Mark Fawcett, Founder, WeAreFutures, Katie Rabone, CEO, Community People and Jodie Bailey-Ho, Canon Young Champion runner-up in 2023 and Diana Awards winner in 2024. The two age group winners (9-16 and 17-21) will each be eligible to win either a one-to-one Master Class with a Canon Ambassador – world-class storytellers – challenging them to explore and improve their own storytelling skills, or a Canon R50 Content Creator Kit (worth nearly £1,000!). Eight further finalists will receive a certificate and a sustainably made medal.
Last year’s winners included Amara Nwuneli, the founder of Preserve Our Roots, a by-youth, for-youth NGO and Social Movement engaging a global audience in climate education and action; Jahaan Arora, who launched multiple initiatives, including the 1 million meals programme and Shri Akshayaa Lakshmikumar, the founder of HERglobal, an international nonprofit dedicated to destigmatising women’s health on an international scale. Previous winners of the Canon category have gone on to represent Canon at global events including Expo 2020 Dubai and some of 2023 finalists featured in a TV and social media global video campaign with Warner Brothers Discovery brand, Cartoon Network
The award is open in two categories – under 17s and under 21s – both of which are free to enter and welcome entries from participants of Canon Youth Programmes and for external youth activists. Judges will consider applications from more than one candidate per entry, for example where groups or siblings have worked together to campaign for a good cause. Entries are open now and will close on 9th May 2025.
To apply, entrants must submit up to 1250 words, a personal video statement and as many as six captioned images that tell their story and the change they’ve been working towards. Using the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a guide, entries may focus on any form of social and environmental sustainability activism, whether it’s a local community project or a large, global initiative.
Winners of the Young Champion Award will each be eligible to win either a one-to-one Master Class with a Canon Ambassador – world-class storytellers – challenging them to explore and improve their own storytelling skills, or a Canon R50 Content Creator Kit (worth nearly £1,000!). Eight further finalists will receive a certificate and a sustainably made medal.
Entrants may submit an entry for themselves if they are over 18, or alternatively they can be nominated by a parent, guardian, company, or the charity or organisation which they are working with but must be an integral part of the application process.
