Freedom House 2025 Annual Awards

Freedom House recognized a distinguished slate of advocates for democracy and freedom around the globe at its Annual Awards in Washington, DC. Award recipients included Venezuelan democratic movement leader María Corina Machado, US Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), representatives from the government and civil society of Taiwan, and Server Mustafayev, an unjustly imprisoned Crimean Tatar human rights defender.

2025 Freedom Award: María Corina Machado, the leader of Venezuela's democratic movement, received the Freedom Award, which recognizes outstanding leaders in the cause of freedom and democracy. This year’s award was presented by Russian human rights activist and Free Russia Foundation advocacy director Evgenia Kara-Murza, who is married to former political prisoner and 2023 Freedom Award winner Vladimir Kara-Murza. The award was accepted by Rafael de la Cruz, an advisor to María Corina Machado.

WATCH: María Corina Machado addresses event attendees while in hiding in Venezuela

2025 Leadership Award: US Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Roger F. Wicker (R-MS) each received Freedom House’s Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding dedication to principled US leadership on the world stage and support for those on the front lines of the struggle against tyranny, such as in Ukraine, Taiwan, and the prodemocracy movement of Belarus. This year’s award was presented by the Honorable Jane Harman, cochair emeritus of the Freedom House Board of Trustees.

WATCH: Senator Roger Wicker accepts 2025 Leadership Award

2025 Beacon Award: The government and civil society of Taiwan received the inaugural Beacon Award for their steadfast efforts to protect their own vibrant democracy, and to support the global struggle for freedom, in the face of escalating pressure from the Chinese Communist Party. Representative Alexander Tah-Ray Yui, on behalf of the government of Taiwan, and civil society representative Chiang Min-yen accepted the award. The award was presented by Ambassador Robert Tuttle, a member of the Freedom House Board of Trustees.

2025 Alfred Moses Liberty Award: Server Mustafayev received the Alfred Moses Liberty Award, which honors exemplary courage by political prisoners or outstanding efforts to secure their release. The award was accepted on Mustafayev’s behalf by Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova and presented by Norman Willox, chairman of the Freedom House Board of Trustees.

Cater Lee, a member of the Freedom House Board of Trustees, served as master of ceremonies.

2025 Honorary Congressional Host Committee

• Senator Susan M. Collins (R-ME)
• Senator Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)
• Senator Rick Scott (R-FL)
• Senator Christopher Van Hollen Jr. (D-MD) 
• Representative Stephen I. Cohen (D-TN-9)
• Representative Lois J. Frankel (D-FL-22)
• Representative James P. McGovern (D-MA-3)
• Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19)
• Representative Michael D. Rogers (R-AL-3)
• Representative Michael R. Turner (R-OH-10)
• Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC-2)

Event Chairs

• Karen and Norman Willox

Event Co-Chairs

• Rodger Desai and Dr. Susan Gauthier
• The Honorable Jane Harman
• Maurice Perkins
• Collin and Joanna Roche

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS

EVENT UNDERWRITERS

• Rodger Desai and Dr. Susan Gauthier
• William and Sheila Konar Foundation
• Collin and Joanna Roche

FREEDOM SUPPORTERS

• Eileen Donahoe
• Thomas and Susana Kahn
• Karen and Norman Willox

FREEDOM ADVOCATES

• Anonymous in Memory of Former Freedom House Trustee, Congressman Jim Kolbe
• The Honorable Goli Ameri
• The Honorable Jane Harman
• Conrad Kiechel and Nancy Savage
• Pan American Energy
• Susan and Thomas Staudt
• Telecom Argentina SA
• Carlotta and Wendell Willkie
• David Willkie

GUARDIANS OF FREEDOM

• American Express
• The Chertoff Group
• Coalfire
• David L. Fogel
• Cater Lee and David Yost
• V3Gate
• Volexity

CHAMPIONS OF FREEDOM

• Anonymous
• Michael Abramowitz and Susan Baer
• Sewell Chan
• Mark D. Goodman
• D. Jeffrey Hirschberg and Frann Lichtenstein
• Ambassador Jim Rosapepe (Rtd) and Sheilah Kast

FRIENDS

• Holly and Andrew Clubok
• Jonathan Coopersmith and Lisa Halperin
• Linda and Tom Daschle
• Brendan Guilday - Merrill Lynch
• McDermott Will and Emery LLP
• The Morrison and Foerster Foundation
• Diana Villiers Negroponte
• Dr. Sushma Palmer in Honor of Ambassador Mark Palmer
• Polsinelli
• Scott Siff and Kinney Zalesne

As of May 1, 2025