The Diana Award 2026: Global Recognition for Young Changemakers Aged 16 to 24

The Diana Award 2026: Global Recognition for Young Changemakers Aged 16 to 24

The Diana Award is one of the most respected accolades a young person can receive for social action or humanitarian work. Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, it recognises young people from across the globe who create and sustain positive social change in their communities. The award carries the belief, held by the late Princess, that young people have the power to change the world. It is run by The Diana Award, a charity that operates a family of youth programmes, of which this accolade is the flagship.

Before going further, one point needs to be stated plainly so that no reader is misled: the Diana Award is not a cash prize, grant, or scholarship. It does not come with a financial award, and it does not fund projects. Its value is reputational and developmental. Recipients gain a nationally and internationally recognised honour, a place in a network of other young leaders, and access to development opportunities. If you are searching specifically for money to fund a project, this is not that kind of opportunity. If you are looking to have a young person’s exceptional, sustained contribution formally recognised at the highest level, this is among the most meaningful accolades available.

This page explains what the accolade is, who it fits, how the nomination process works, what recipients receive, and how to prepare a strong nomination. It also flags where current-cycle dates are not confirmed, so you can check the official source rather than rely on guesswork.

Key details

What the Diana Award actually offers

It helps to be clear about what this accolade is and is not. It is a formal recognition of a young person’s sustained, selfless contribution to others. It is decided through a nomination and assessment process rather than a competitive funding call, and it results in an honour rather than a payment.

What recipients receive includes:

• The accolade itself, a widely recognised mark of distinction that can be cited on a CV, university application, or professional profile.
• A certificate of recognition and a place on the charity’s Roll of Honour.
• Recognition at a ceremony, which in recent cycles has included virtual celebrations that connect recipients across many countries.
• Access to a network of other young leaders and changemakers, which is often the most valuable long-term benefit.
• Development opportunities, including peer-led sessions and, for some, further programmes offered by the charity.

What it does not offer:

• No cash. There is no prize fund, no grant, and no scholarship attached.
• No project funding. It does not pay for the work a young person is doing.
• No guaranteed onward funding. Being a recipient does not automatically lead to a financial award elsewhere.

The reason to pursue it is recognition and connection, not money. For many young people, having their work validated at this level opens doors that funding alone would not, including credibility with schools, universities, employers, and other organisations.

Who this fits

The accolade suits a specific kind of young person: one who has been quietly and consistently doing meaningful work for others over a sustained period. The emphasis is on sustained impact and selflessness rather than a single event or a one-off achievement.

Good candidates typically:

• Have been active for at least 12 months, showing commitment and continuity rather than a brief campaign.
• Work in a way that benefits others rather than themselves, which is what “selfless” means in this context.
• Have a body of work that maps onto a recognised social or humanitarian theme, such as improving education access, supporting health and wellbeing, reducing inequality, or addressing climate change.
• Are the sort of person whose contribution an adult who knows their work professionally would confidently vouch for.

It is worth distinguishing the accolade from the charity’s other well-known programmes. The Diana Award also runs a mentoring programme and a widely used anti-bullying programme. Those are separate initiatives with their own eligibility and structure. This page is about the accolade specifically, which recognises individual young people for their broader social action or humanitarian work. If your interest is anti-bullying training or a mentoring relationship, look at those programmes directly rather than the nomination route described here.

Eligibility in detail

Based on the official criteria, a nominee must:

• Be aged between 16 and 24 at the time of nomination. A nominee may be 25 by the time the award is actually received, but the age at nomination is what matters for eligibility. Note that the charity’s criteria have been framed differently across its history and in various secondary sources, with some older references citing a wider age band. Always treat the official nomination centre as the authority on the current age range.
• Have carried out their social action or humanitarian work for a minimum of 12 months. This threshold reinforces that the award is about sustained contribution, not a recent burst of activity.
• Have work that aligns with a recognised thematic area. Recent cycles have grouped work under Sustainable Development Goal themes such as Quality Education, Good Health and Wellbeing, Reduced Inequality, and Climate Action. The specific themes can be refined from cycle to cycle.

The nominator also has eligibility conditions:

• The nominator must be over 18.
• The nominator must know the nominee’s work professionally, for example as a teacher, youth worker, employer, or community leader, and not simply as a friend or family member.
• Self-nomination is not allowed. A young person cannot put themselves forward; someone else must recognise and submit their work.

The nomination process

The Diana Award is awarded by nomination, not by application. This is a defining feature and a common source of confusion. A young person does not fill in a form about themselves. Instead, an adult who has seen their work steps forward to nominate them through the official Nomination Centre.

The general flow is:

1. An adult identifies a young person whose sustained work merits recognition.
2. The nominator completes the online nomination form through the Diana Award Nomination Centre during an open nomination window.
3. The nomination is assessed against the criteria of sustained, selfless impact aligned to a recognised theme.
4. Successful nominees are notified and, if selected, become recipients and join the alumni or young leaders network.

Because it is nomination-led, the strength of the submission depends heavily on the nominator’s ability to describe the young person’s work clearly, with concrete evidence of impact over time. A vague or generic nomination is unlikely to succeed, however deserving the young person may be.

Timeline and current status

Nominations for the Diana Award open in defined windows rather than being continuously open. For the most recent cycle, nominations for the 2026 Diana Award closed on 31 October 2025 at 17:00 GMT.

At the time this page was written, the dates for the next nomination window were not confirmed. The charity has indicated that future dates will be announced on its official nomination page, and it advises interested nominators to check back for updates. To avoid being misled, do not rely on second-hand dates from aggregator sites. Instead, monitor the official Nomination Centre and open a nomination only during a confirmed live window.

If you are reading this outside an open window, the practical step is to prepare now: gather evidence, confirm the young person’s eligibility, and be ready to submit as soon as the next window opens.

What recipients receive after selection

Recipients of the Diana Award join a community rather than simply collecting a certificate. The ongoing benefits are what make the honour durable:

• A recognised accolade they can reference throughout education and their careers.
• Membership of a network of fellow recipients, often described as one of the strongest peer communities of young changemakers anywhere, spanning many countries and continents.
• Development sessions, including peer-led conversations, that help recipients grow their leadership and expand their impact.
• Visibility, through the Roll of Honour and ceremonies, that can attract further support and partnerships to the young person’s cause.

The network element matters most over time. Being connected to other driven young people, and to the charity’s wider ecosystem, is where many recipients find lasting value long after the ceremony.

How to prepare a strong nomination

A strong nomination reads as specific, evidenced, and honest. If you are an adult planning to nominate a young person, prepare the following before the window opens:

• A clear narrative of the work over time. Show that the contribution has run for at least 12 months, with a beginning, development, and continued commitment.
• Concrete evidence of impact. Numbers, outcomes, testimonials, and examples are far more persuasive than adjectives. Describe who benefited and how.
• The selfless dimension. Make explicit how the work serves others rather than advancing the young person’s own interests.
• Alignment to a theme. Frame the work against a recognised social or humanitarian area so assessors can place it easily.
• Your own standing to nominate. Briefly establish how you know the work professionally, which lends credibility.

Write plainly and specifically. Assessors read many nominations, and the ones that stand out are those that make the young person’s sustained, real-world impact impossible to miss.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating it as an application. The young person cannot nominate themselves. If you are the young person, you need an adult to nominate you.
• Expecting money. There is no cash prize, grant, or scholarship. Do not pursue this to fund a project.
• Nominating too early. Work carried out for less than 12 months is unlikely to meet the sustained-impact bar.
• Being vague. Generic praise without evidence weakens even a deserving nomination.
• Relying on unofficial dates. Aggregator sites sometimes carry outdated or incorrect windows. Confirm timing on the official Nomination Centre.
• Confusing the programmes. The accolade is distinct from the charity’s mentoring and anti-bullying programmes. Apply to the right one for your goal.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a cash prize? No. The Diana Award is a non-cash accolade. It does not include a grant, scholarship, or any project funding.

Can a young person nominate themselves? No. Self-nomination is not permitted. An adult over 18 who knows the young person’s work professionally must submit the nomination.

What ages are eligible? Nominees are between 16 and 24 at the time of nomination, and may be 25 when the award is received. Because the criteria have varied over the charity’s history, confirm the current range on the official nomination centre.

How long must the young person have been active? At least 12 months of sustained social action or humanitarian work.

Is it open internationally? Yes. The award is global and has recognised young people in many countries across several continents.

When can I nominate someone? The 2026 cycle’s nominations closed on 31 October 2025. The next window’s dates were not confirmed at the time of writing. Check the official nomination page for updates.

Official links

• The Diana Award (accolade) overview: diana-award.org.uk
• Main site: diana-award.org.uk

Always verify current eligibility criteria, thematic areas, and nomination windows on the official Diana Award website before preparing or submitting a nomination, since details can change between cycles.