Highlight of UN General Assembly Week honors individuals who make unique contributions towards improving the world

WASHINGTON, DC – September 12, 2019 – The tenth annual Atlantic Council Global Citizen Awards will honor President of the Republic of Chile Sebastián Piñera; Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte; Brian Grazer, storyteller, movie and television producer, founder, and philanthropist; will.i.am, founder of the Black Eyed Peas, Founder & CEO of I.AM+, and Founder and President, i.am.angel Foundation.

The event will also announce Actress, Playwright, Teacher, and Author, Anna Deavere Smith, as the Atlantic Council’s first Artist in Residence. 

The ceremony, which will be attended and spoken by all four distinguished honorees and Anna Deavere Smith, will take place on Monday, September 23, on the margins of United Nations General Assembly week in New York. 

“The recipients of the 2019 Atlantic Council Global Citizen Awards recognize global citizenship at its best while also underscoring the Atlantic Council’s global mission of ‘shaping the future together’ with friends and allies”, said Frederick Kempe, President and CEO of the Atlantic Council. “Their myriad collective achievements range from government leadership in Europe and Latin America, to innovative approaches to advance climate action, to groundbreaking contributions in the humanitarian and artistic fields. It is our hope that by honoring these unique individuals, we can advance the concept of ‘global citizenship’ and inspire others to pursue lives of extraordinary public and humanitarian service.”

The Atlantic Council will congratulate President Piñera for his exemplary contributions to the global community and Chile, demonstrated through his ground-breaking leadership in addressing climate change, and his pragmatic approaches to policy and economic revitalization during a period of outsized regional uncertainty. Kristine Tompkins, President of Tompkins Conservation and UN Patron of Protected Areas, will present the award to President Piñera.

Prime Minister Rutte will be honored for his admirable leadership as one of the longest-serving heads of government in the European Union. Prime Minister Rutte’s promotion of free trade, efforts to combat the threat of climate change, and belief in the importance of the transatlantic relationship in sustaining European and global security hits at the core of the Atlantic Council’s mission. Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, will present the award to Prime Minister Rutte.

Brian Grazer will be recognized for his inspirational, award-winning body of work, his remarkable character and his unwavering commitment to philanthropic efforts addressing issues from mental health to diversity. Academy Award-winning Director, Ron Howard, will present the award to Mr. Grazer.

The Atlantic Council will honor will.i.am for his award-winning musical career, entrepreneurial ethos and steadfast dedication to philanthropy. In addition to his extraordinary career in music, will.i.am is the founder and CEO of I.AM+ focused on Artificial Intelligence, and also the Founder and President of the i.am.angel Foundation, which positively impacts young lives through STEAM education programs. H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence of the United Arab Emirates, will present the award to will.i.am.

Anna Deavere Smith, who is best known for her one-woman plays that closely examine social issues in connection with current events will be joining the Atlantic Council as Artist in Residence.  She will be working with the Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center on a project entitled the “Stories of Human Resilience.”  Stories of Human Resilience will use Smith’s signature form of theater, based on interviews with individuals who have exhibited resilience in a multitude of areas.  It is our hope that these individual journeys will impact positive global change, one story at a time.

This event is on-the-record and open to press. To request accreditation or for additional details, please email press@atlanticcouncil.org by Friday, September 20. Location and further timing details will be provided upon confirmation of accreditation. 

Follow @AtlanticCouncil and use #ACAwards for live updates throughout the evening.