Dame Donna Langley to Receive Trailblazer Award; Susie Wolff to Receive Icon Award; Tracy Chou and Seyi Akiwowo to Receive Inaugural Susan Wojcicki Tech for Impact Award; Shirin Musa and Farwiza Farhan to Be Honored with Global Leadership Awards Hosted by Bozoma Saint John
NEW YORK, March 2, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Vital Voices Global Partnership today announced that its 2026 Global Leadership Awards will take place on April 23, 2026, at the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC). The annual event will convene global leaders, philanthropists, and changemakers to celebrate extraordinary women whose leadership is transforming industries and advancing progress worldwide.
The Global Leadership Awards is graciously co-hosted by Rachelle Hruska MacPherson, Selina Tobaccowala, Sali Christeson, Stéphane de La Faverie, Deborah Rutter, Diane von Furstenberg, Elizabeth and Bruce Buchanan, Fabiola Beracasa Beckman, Huma Abedin, Jennifer Tuft, Karlie Kloss, Kristina O'Neill, Laura Brown, and Marc Pritchard.
The ceremony will be hosted by acclaimed marketing executive and entrepreneur Bozoma Saint John, who will lead an evening spotlighting the honorees' extraordinary achievements and global impact. The awards show will feature a special appearance by former U.S. Secretary of State and Vital Voices co-founder Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose leadership and longstanding commitment to advancing women's rights globally helped launch the organization nearly three decades ago.
The evening will also pay tribute to the life and legacy of Susan Wojcicki — former CEO of YouTube, Vital Voices mentor, and champion for women in technology — with the introduction of the Susan Wojcicki Tech for Impact Award. Presented annually, the award will recognize women harnessing technology to address the world's most pressing challenges through bold innovation and transformative policy solutions.
The 2026 honorees include:
- Dame Donna Langley, recipient of the Trailblazer Award, honored for her transformative leadership in global entertainment, championing acclaimed and emerging creative voices, providing access and opportunity, and reshaping the industry through innovation and cultural impact.
- Susie Wolff, recipient of the Icon Award, honored for her groundbreaking career in motorsport and her continued leadership expanding opportunity for women in racing.
- Tracy Chou, recipient of the Inaugural Susan Wojcicki Tech for Impact Award, recognized for her leadership advancing accountability and transparency in the tech industry and building safer digital platforms.
- Seyi Akiwowo, recipient of the Inaugural Susan Wojcicki Tech for Impact Award, honored for her pioneering work combating online abuse and advocating for inclusive, rights-based digital policy.
- Shirin Musa, recipient of the Global Leadership Award, recognized for her courageous advocacy to end forced and honor-based violence and to protect the rights of women and girls.
- Farwiza Farhan, recipient of the Global Leadership Award, honored for her environmental leadership protecting the Leuser Ecosystem and advancing community-led conservation in Indonesia.
"For more than 28 years, Vital Voices has invested in women leaders who are shaping a more equitable and prosperous world," said Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership. "This year's honorees embody bold leadership — challenging systems, expanding opportunity, and creating lasting change."
"At a time when the world feels increasingly complex and divided, the leadership of women like this year's honorees reminds us what is possible," Nelson added. "From boardrooms to racetracks, from technology platforms to grassroots movements and fragile ecosystems, they are reshaping systems and expanding opportunity for others. We are proud to celebrate not only their achievements, but the ripple effects of their leadership across generations."
The Global Leadership Awards is Vital Voices' premier annual fundraising event, supporting its mission to identify, invest in, and amplify women leaders tackling the world's greatest challenges.
Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at:
https://support.vitalvoices.org/event/2026-vital-voices-global-leadership-awards/e658485
About Vital Voices Global Partnership
For more than 28 years, Vital Voices Global Partnership has been investing in women leaders solving the world's greatest challenges. We are "venture catalysts," identifying those with a bold vision for change and partnering with them to make that vision a reality. We scale and accelerate their impact through long-term investments to expand the skills, connections, capacity, and visibility of women leaders.
Vital Voices provided early support for leaders who went on to become Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, U.S. Youth Poet Laureates, prime ministers, and breakthrough social entrepreneurs. Since its founding in 1997, Vital Voices has directly supported more than 49,000 women changemakers across 188 countries and built the most powerful global network of women leaders who are daring to reimagine a more equitable world for all.
Media Contact
Leila Roberts, Vital Voices Global Partnerhsip, 1 4157132009, [email protected], https://www.vitalvoices.org
SOURCE Vital Voices Global Partnerhsip
Share this article