The Canon Young Champion of the Year Award recognises young leaders who are driving positive change across any area of sustainability and use their examples to encourage others to take action. The award started as an extension of Canon EMEA’s Young People Programme (https://apo-opa.info/3YPdpgh), which gives young people the knowledge, skills and confidence to tackle sustainability issues that matter to them using creativity and critical thinking.

Last year, Nabilah Chowdhury won the under 21 category (https://apo-opa.info/3YuzocG) and was recognised for her climate change activism, organising climate strikes in Sydney as well as debating the issue as a UN Youth delegate. She has since continued her campaigning and was recently invited back to the UK Canon office to receive a prize DSLR camera and share her inspiring work. Peter Bragg, Canon EMEA Sustainability & Government Affairs Director said “We’re happy to be sponsoring the Global Good Awards for the fourth year running. We look forward to seeing applications come in over the next months demonstrating the hard work and achievements of young sustainability campaigners, schools and NGO’s.“

To determine this year’s Canon Young Champion of the Year Award winner, an inspiring bench of judges have been announced including art activist and Dianna Award winner, Ally Zlatar, Sustainability advisor and author of Be the Change Books, Georgina Stevens, and photographer and Canon Ambassador, Laura El Tantawy.

Additionally, Canon is launching the YPP Partner of the Year Award, which will celebrate the work of education partners who have held a Canon Young People Programme starting in 2022. Steve Kenzie, Executive Director UN Global Compact Network UK, joins the panel of judges, using his expertise in connecting global organisations to drive the SDGs to assess applications from schools and NGO’s that have delivered imaging workshops in collaboration with Canon. Alongside Steve on the judging panel for the education category is Hassan Raja, former Canon Young People Programme participant and now Digital Comms Officer for the Mayor of London.

The Canon category winners will be showcased alongside other GGA award winners at the virtual awards ceremony on 12^th July and will be included in a GGA Winners’ event on 12^th October, which will bring the 2023 finalists together from all backgrounds to discuss how we make positive change.

Details on the Canon Young Champion of the Year category
The award is open in two categories – under 16s 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 (https://apo-opa.info/3jWcziX) and will close on 28 April 2023.

To apply, entrants must submit up to 1,000 words and as many six captioned images that tell their story and the change they’ve been working towards. Using the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (https://apo-opa.info/3DYSf7i) 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 receive tickets to the virtual Global Good Awards ceremony as well as a Canon EOS 250D camera, kit lens and 50mm lens. Shortlisted finalists will also receive a Canon EOS 4000D camera, kit lens and a certificate. The winner of the Education Award will win an award trophy and certificate.

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.