Politician of the Year Award

About the Award

According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, only 2.9% of parliamentarians globally are under the age of 30, and only 19.2% of MPs are below 40. Young voices in politics are critically underrepresented, and this raises the substantial risk of disconnecting an entire generation from their nations’ political processes. 

One Young World believes that the next generation of young politicians are here to do more than create the next convenient solution - they are here to influence, transform policy, and drive progress in their local communities. 

The One Young World Politician of the Year Award was created in 2018 as the first global award recognising the work of young politicians under 35 and was launched to counter the low level of youth engagement in politics.

We are delighted to launch our annual Politician of the Year Award again for 2026. The award will be presented to the 3 winners at the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, which will take place between 3-6 November. 

Applications and nominations for the Politician of the Year Award will close on 9 June 2026.

Apply Now                    Nominate Here