Asia Game Changer Awards
Awarded forOutstanding achievements in policy and business, arts and culture, and education
CountryUnited States
Presented byAsia Society, Citi
First awardedOctober 16, 2014; 9 years ago (2014-10-16)
Websiteasiasociety.org/gamechangers

The Asia Game Changer Awards is an annual award ceremony held in recognition of individuals and organizations within and connected to the Asian community that have made positive contributions to the development and improvement of Asia and society.

Inaugurated in 2014 by New York-based non-profit organization the Asia Society, in partnership with Citibank, the first ceremony was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.[1] A total of thirteen honorees were awarded, including Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and internet entrepreneur Jack Ma, who was honoured as the first ever Game Changer of the Year.[1] Nominees are selected from individuals and institutions nominated from the Asia Society's global network,[1] which then embarks on a three-month long process of feedback and voting that results in the final awardees.[2] While recipients are usually from varying diverse backgrounds, the 2019 ceremony marked the first time that all awardees for the year were women only.[3]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the 2020 and 2021 ceremonies were held online.[4]

Ceremonies

Edition Date Venue City Ref.
1st October 16, 2014 United Nations New York, New York [1]
2nd October 13, 2015 [5]
3rd October 27, 2016 [6]
4th November 1, 2017 The Great Hall Lower Manhattan, New York
5th October 9, 2018
6th October 24, 2019 [3]
7th October 22, 2020 Online broadcast [7]
8th October 28, 2021 [8]
9th October 27, 2022 The Great Hall Lower Manhattan, New York [9]

Honorees

Close-up shot of a man wearing a black shirt, looking directly into the camera.
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban was awarded for his work designing disaster relief shelters in Rwanda, Haiti, Japan etc. using recyclable materials.
Malala seated in a chair facing away from the camera wearing a red head covering that drapes over her shoulders.
Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai was awarded for her worldwide advocacy work for girls education.
Pakistani cricketer Sana Mir was awarded in 2019 for her success in the traditionally male-dominated sport and for advocating for women's rights, both inside and outside of sports.
Group photo of BTS standing together wearing black suits with white shirts.
South Korean music group BTS was awarded at the 2020 ceremony for standing against discrimination and inspiring their global fanbase to do the same.
Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka was also honored at the 2020 ceremony for using her global platform to bring attention to racial injustice and supporting social change.
Year Recipient Occupation Nationality Ref.
2014 Shigeru Ban Architect Japan [10][11]
Madhav Chavan Social activist and entrepreneur
philanthropist 		India
Illac Diaz Social entrepreneur Philippines
Fashion Girls for Humanity Non-profit charity organization United States
Kuntoro Mangkusubroto Head government minister Indonesia
Saad Mohseni Entrepreneur
CEO 		Afghanistan
Jacqueline Novogratz Businesswoman
CEO 		United States
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Journalist
filmmaker
activist 		Pakistan
Playing for Change Non-profit global music project United States
Pawan Sinha Scientist
professor
Malala Yousafzai Activist Pakistan
2015 Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano, and Shuji Nakamura Physicist
engineer
inventor 		Japan [5][12]
Li Cunxin Artistic director
philanthropist 		China
Lei Jun Entrepreneur
CEO
philanthropist
Chanda Kochhar ICICI managing director and CEO India
Aasif Mandvi Actor
comedian
writer
Mariam al-Mansouri UAEAF Fighter Pilot United Arab Emirates
Kiran Bir Sethi Designer
educator 		India
2016 Joey Alexander Pianist Indonesia [6][13]
Muzoon Almellehan Activist Syria
Marita Cheng Entrepreneur
CEO 		Australia
Soo-man Lee Record producer and executive South Korea
Dr. Sanduk Ruit Ophthalmologist
eye surgeon 		Nepal
Ahmad Sarmast Ethnomusicologist
director 		Afghanistan
Durreen Shahnaz Entrepreneur
professor
speaker 		Bangladesh
Karim Wasfi Conductor
cellist 		Iraq
Zhang Yimou Film director and producer China
2017 Sonita Alizadeh Rapper
activist 		Afghanistan [14][15]
Jean Liu Business executive China
Aisholpan Nurgaiv Eagle hunter Mongolia
Leng Ouch Environmental activist Cambodia
Dev Patel Actor
philanthropist 		United Kingdom
Sesame Workshop Non-profit organization United States
Wu Tong Businessman
CEO 		China
Tadashi Yanai Businessman
CEO 		Japan
2018 The Afghan Girls Robotics Team Students Afghanistan [16]
Dr. Munjed Al Muderis Doctor
orthopedic surgeon
human rights activist and humanitarian
professor and lecturer 		Iraq
The Founders of Koolulam Social musical initiative Israel
The Heroes of Fukushima Plant workers
first responders
volunteers 		Japan
Mira Rai Sportswoman Nepal
Raed Saleh and the Syrian White Helmets Volunteer and civil defence organization Syria
The Rescue Team at the Tham Luang Caves Thailand
Wang Shi Entrepreneur
environmentalist 		China
2019 Hoor Al Qasimi SAF director
curator
artist 		United Arab Emirates [17]
Yuriko Koike Governor of Tokyo Japan
Kung Fu Nuns Social activist
humanitarian 		Nepal
Sana Mir Sportswoman Pakistan
Faiza Saeed Attorney United States
Chhaya Sharma NHRC Deputy Inspector General
former Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner of Police 		India
Jane Jie Sun Businesswoman
CEO 		China
2020 BTS Musician
philanthropist 		South Korea [18]
Vikas Khanna Chef
humanitarian 		India
Miky Lee Film producer
businesswoman 		South Korea
Yo-Yo Ma Cellist
humanitarian 		France
United States
Naomi Osaka Sportswoman Japan
Joseph Tsai and Clara Tsai Businessman
philanthropist 		Taiwan
2021 Rabbi Angela Warnick Buchdahl Rabbi United States [19]
Dr. Morris Chang Businessman Taiwan / United States
Dr. David Ho Doctor
scientist
medical researcher
Sal Khan Educator United States
Sunisa Lee Gymnast
Kim Ng Baseball executive and general manager
Sundar Pichai CEO India / United States
2022 Michael Bloomberg Entrepreneur
philanthropist
former Mayor of New York City 		United States [9]
Arunabha Ghosh Founder-CEO of Council On Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) India
Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner Poet
climate change activist 		Marshall Islands
Kristin Kagetsu Co-founder-CEO of Saathi
social entrepreneur 		India
Navina Khanna Co-founder of the HEAL Food Alliance United States
Ma Jun Environmentalist China
Nanette Medved-Po Philanthropist
businesswoman 		Philippines
Dr. Rajiv J. Shah President of the Rockefeller Foundation United States
Alok Sharma Politician
President for COP26 		United Kingdom
Janet Yang Film producer
President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 		United States

Special awards

Jack Ma wearing a navy blue suit and matching patterned tie with a white shirt while smiling.
Chinese entrepreneur, and co-founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, was the first ever Asia Game Changer of the Year award recipient.
Indra Nooyi, Ceo of PepsiCo, was the first woman to be awarded the Asia Game Changer of the Year.
Year Award Recipient Occupation(s) Nationality Ref.
2014 Asia Game Changer of the Year Jack Ma Businessman
philanthropist 		China [20][21]
2015 Manny Pacquiao Senator Philippines [22]
2018 Indra Nooyi CEO India [16]
2016 Lifetime Achievement Award I. M. Pei Architect China [23][24]
2017 The Aga Khan Imam
philanthropist
businessman 		Switzerland [14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Jack Ma, Malala Among Asia Society's 'Game Changer' Honorees". NBC News. September 18, 2014. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  2. ^ "About". asiasociety.org. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Jara-Puyod, Mariecar (September 12, 2019). "Hoor Al Qasimi: 2019 Asia Society's Game Changer". Gulf Today. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  4. ^ "Chef Vikas Khanna honoured with Asia Game Changer award for feeding millions in India amid Covid crisis". The Economic Times. September 17, 2019. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Chanda Kochhar among three Indians get Asia Game Changer awards". The Economic Times. September 16, 2015. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Nepali eye surgeon Sanduk Ruit among recipients of the 2016 Asia Game Changers award". The American Bazaar. September 13, 2016. Archived from the original on September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  7. ^ "2020 Asia Game Changer Awards". Asia Society. Archived from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  8. ^ "2021 Asia Game Changer Awards". Asia Society. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Sorilla IV, Frank (October 28, 2022). "HOPE Founder Nanette Medved-Po Receives the Coveted Asia Game Changer Award". Tatler Asia. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  10. ^ "Shigeru Ban, 3/11-born charity to receive Asia Game Changer Awards". The Japan Times. September 17, 2014. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  11. ^ "Ban Ki-moon assures UN's support to Kailash Satyarthi, Malala Yousafzai". The Economic Times. October 17, 2014. Archived from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  12. ^ "UAE female fighter jet pilot wins 'Game Changer' award". Arabian Business. October 16, 2015. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  13. ^ Lee, Jung-ah (September 22, 2016). 이수만 총괄 프로듀서, '아시아 게임 체인저 어워즈' 韓 최초 수상자 선정 [Executive Producer Lee Soo-man was selected as the first Korean winner of the Asian Game Changer]. SBS FunE (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020 – via Naver.
  14. ^ a b "Dev Patel selected for Asia Game Changers award along with Aga Khan". The Economic Times. August 8, 2017. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  15. ^ Welitzkin, Paul (August 9, 2017). "Didi's Liu, musician Wu Tong named Asia Society Game Changers". China Daily. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Indra Nooyi to be honoured with Asia Society's Game Changer of the Year 2018 award". Press Trust of India. August 8, 2017. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020 – via The Hindustan Times.
  17. ^ Flannery, Russell (September 11, 2019). "Ctrip's Jane Sun Among Asia Society's All-Female Game Changer Award Winners". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  18. ^ Kumar, Arun (September 17, 2020). "Asia Game Changer award for NY based celebrity chef Vikas Khanna". The American Bazaar. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  19. ^ "Asia Society Announces 2021 Asia Game Changers". Asia Society. September 29, 2021. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  20. ^ Thomas, Bryan (October 16, 2014). "Asia Society Hosts Asian Game Changer Awards At The United Nations". Getty Images. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  21. ^ "Pacquiao to receive 2015 Asia Game Changer award". The Manila Times. September 26, 2015. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020. Jack Ma, the Chinese chief executive officer of Alibaba was the 2014 Asia Game Changer of the Year recipient.
  22. ^ Bautista, Charles Aames (October 21, 2015). "Asia Society Awards People's Champ as Asia's Game Changer of the Year". Tatler Philippines. Archived from the original on September 17, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  23. ^ I.M. Pei and Zhang Yimou Receive Asia Game Changers (Online video). United States: SinoVision. October 31, 2016. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020 – via YouTube.
  24. ^ "Renowned architect I M Pei dies at age 102". Al Jazeera. May 17, 2019. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020. Pei smiles as he accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2016 Asia Game Changer Awards ceremony in New York
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