Nominations opened today for the 14th annual Tusk Conservation Awards, the leading platform for identifying, celebrating, and funding Africa’s most visionary, inspiring, and dedicated conservation leaders.
Held in partnership with Ninety One, the Awards provide significant grant funding for the winners’ organisations alongside international recognition, giving winners the resources, credibility, and momentum to scale proven conservation solutions for people and nature.
This year, a total of £225,000 in prize money will be awarded across three categories: £100,000 for the Prince William Award, £75,000 for the Tusk Award, and £50,000 for the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award.
Three winners will be selected from hundreds of nominations across Africa and honoured at a prestigious ceremony expected to be held in London later this year.
Speaking at last year’s awards, Tusk Royal Patron HRH The Prince of Wales said: “It is so often communities and local conservation leaders who provide the practical solutions to how we can best sustain our precious natural landscapes and vital biodiversity. The award winners are always wonderful examples of what can be achieved locally, regionally and at the national level. Identifying and supporting locally-led conservation has always been at the heart of Tusk’s ethos. The insight and expertise of the Tusk award winners should inspire us to drive change. We must continue to amplify their voices and support their vital work.”
Since the Awards were launched in 2013, 61 winners and finalists from 23 African countries have used the recognition and grant money to support various conservation work, including expanding ranger patrols and intelligence networks, securing critical habitats and wildlife corridors, equipping community conservancies with vital infrastructure and training, and creating sustainable, conservation-linked livelihoods for rural communities.
From protecting gorillas in eastern Congo and turtles in Sierra Leone, to restoring forests in Madagascar and dismantling poaching syndicates in Zimbabwe, the Awards have helped turn bold African ideas into lasting conservation impact. The grant funding is deliberately designed to be catalytic, enabling winners to scale their work further and unlock new partnerships and long-term investment.
Rahima Njaidi, Founder of Tanzanian women-led forest conservation organisation MJUMITA, won the Tusk Award in 2025. She said: “I’ve been contacted by people from as far away as Jamaica, by people offering opportunities to work together, by organisations inviting me to join their board. The money means we can do many things we otherwise couldn’t with existing project funding, and you speak with more authority because people see you’ve won this award. I feel the award is not really for the winner, it’s not for me, it’s for the whole team and the communities we work with, it recognises their effort and their sacrifices, and it really motivates them.”
Africa’s ecosystems are under unprecedented pressure. Wildlife populations have declined by more than 75% since 1970. Forests the size of Switzerland or Guinea-Bissau are lost each year. Rangelands supporting millions of pastoralist families are rapidly degrading. Tusk believes the most effective solutions to these challenges will be led by Africans, working hand-in-hand with local communities, and backed with the long-term funding and partnerships needed to succeed.
Nick Bubb, CEO of Tusk, said: “The Awards shine a light on the remarkable courage and commitment of individuals working tirelessly to safeguard Africa’s natural heritage, often in challenging and dangerous conditions. We’re committed to ensuring the Awards continue to provide invaluable international exposure for these conservation leaders, alongside vital funding for their projects. We encourage anyone who knows an individual or ranger team who has made a significant impact on wildlife conservation to nominate them for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their achievements recognised on a global stage.”
Nominations are invited across three categories. Nominees may only be entered in one category:
- Prince William Award – A lifetime achievement award recognising outstanding dedication and exceptional long-term contribution to conservation in Africa.
- The Tusk Award – Recognising an inspiring and emerging leader in conservation demonstrating leadership, innovation, and measurable impact.
- Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award – Recognising either an exceptional ranger or ranger team demonstrating outstanding commitment and bravery in protecting Africa’s wildlife and wild places.
In a significant evolution of the Awards, the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Award will from this year recognise ranger teams as well as individual rangers. The change reflects the reality of modern conservation: wildlife protection is a team effort, built on trust, coordination, courage, and collective sacrifice. Across Africa, ranger teams are the backbone of protected areas, operating in some of the world’s most challenging and dangerous environments.
The expanded category also aligns with Tusk’s wider ranger programmes, including the Wildlife Ranger Challenge and the Ranger Welfare and Standards Initiative, which supports over 6,200 rangers with training, equipment, and insurance.
The Tusk Conservation Awards are open to conservation leaders across Africa. Nominees do not need to be current Tusk partners. Nominees cannot apply themselves, they must be nominated in confidence by someone who knows their work well, such as a colleague, mentor, partner, lecturer, supervisor, or collaborator.
Nominations are open until April 26th, 2026, and must be submitted online at:
www.tuskawards.com/nominations
The Tusk Conservation Awards are held in partnership with Ninety One and made possible through the generous support of the Nick Maughan Family Foundation and Defender, among others.
