To highlight young people making a positive difference in their communities, the Commonwealth Secretariat recently opened nominations for the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work.
Managed by the Commonwealth Youth Programme, the awards, popularly known as the Commonwealth Youth Awards (CYA), recognise outstanding young changemakers, aged 15-29, from 56 member countries who demonstrate impactful projects that support the achievement of the SDGs.
Each year, an outstanding entrant is named Commonwealth Young Person of the Year, with regional awards given for Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Canada, and the Pacific.
The launch for the Commonwealth Youth Awards will air on the Commonwealth Secretariat’s YouTube channel on International Youth Day, during a digital broadcast, which will feature previous award winners who will reflect on the role of the awards in spotlighting their innovative solutions to complex issues.
The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey, said, "Across our 56 member countries, young people are not waiting for permission to act. They are building sustainable farms, launching climate apps, mentoring students, running for local office, and turning the Sustainable Development Goals into local, living realities. They are the change, and it’s our job to support them."
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The 2026 edition is being delivered in partnership with the Commonwealth Association for the first time, which will strengthen the Commonwealth’s commitment to nurturing partnerships that support young, ambitious leaders.
Layne Robinson, Head of the Secretariat’s Social Policy Development, said, "This milestone year presents a unique opportunity to highlight success stories. Entrepreneurs, inventors, environmentalists, women’s rights advocates, health campaigners and political activists are just some of the diverse nominees we have had in the past.
"This award gives them a global platform to promote their innovations, and some funding to help them scale up their development projects."
The winners will be announced during the week-long celebrations for Commonwealth Day in March 2026.
The finalists will receive a trophy, a certificate and cash grants to help them continue their development work. All finalists will be awarded a £1,000 grant. Each selected regional winner will receive an additional £2,000, bringing their total win to £3,000, and the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year will receive an additional cash grant of £2,000, bringing their total award to £5,000.
For more information about the Awards, and to apply or nominate someone, please visit the nomination portal. Entries must be received online via the link by 23:59 GMT on 17 October 2025.
The 2026 CYA awards are a part of over five decades of work for celebrating, empowering and engaging young people in the Commonwealth.
This year, a young Bangladeshi Murad Ansary was crowned Commonwealth Youth Award Asia Regional Winner and won £3,000 beating many applicants from Asian countries.
“The nominations for our next winner have opened and I’d like more young brilliant youths from Bangladesh to apply,” shared Ansary.