Six women won the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize, marking the first all-female cohort in the award’s 37-year history.
The recipients are Iroro Tanshi of Nigeria, Borim Kim of South Korea, Sarah Finch of the United Kingdom, Theonila Roka Matbob of Papua New Guinea, Alannah Acaq Hurley of the United States, and Yuvelis Morales Blanco of Colombia. Each received $200,000 for their grassroots work addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.
How the winners are challenging fossil fuel projects
Yuvelis Morales Blanco led efforts to block commercial fracking in Colombia after a 2018 oil spill displaced families and killed wildlife along the Magdalena River. Her activism contributed to making fracking a key issue in the country’s 2022 election.
Borim Kim secured a ruling from South Korea’s Constitutional Court that the nation’s climate policy violated the rights of future generations, the first successful youth-led climate litigation in Asia. Sarah Finch said she will apply her prize money to continue opposing fossil fuel projects in Europe.
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What the prize signifies for environmental advocacy
John Goldman, vice president of the Goldman Environmental Foundation, said the winners prove that courage and hard work drive meaningful progress in environmental protection. The prize, often called the “Green Nobel,” honors activists from each of the world’s six primary regions.
This year’s all-women cohort highlights the growing role of female leaders in grassroots movements confronting pollution, habitat destruction, and climate impacts across diverse ecosystems.
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What is the Goldman Environmental Prize?
The Goldman Environmental Prize is awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists from six global regions, with each recipient receiving $200,000. It was established in 1989 by philanthropists Richard and Rhoda Goldman.
Why is the 2026 winner list historically significant?
The 2026 winners are the first all-female group since the prize began, representing Colombia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, the UK, and the US. No previous year has had all recipients be women.
