Secularist of the Year
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File:Secularist of the Year poster.jpg
The official Secularist of the Year poster used at the award ceremony.
Secularist of the Year (also known as the Irwin Prize) is an award presented annually by the UK's National Secular Society to the individual or organisation considered to have made the greatest contribution to secularism in the previous year. The prize consists of a trophy, the "Golden Ammonite", and a cheque for £5000. It was first awarded in 2005 and is sponsored by humanist and secularist campaigner Dr. Michael Irwin. The award ceremony normally takes place in London in March.
Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Citation | Presenter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Maryam Namazie | For her work in defence of women's rights and the right to freedom of expression.[1] | Polly Toynbee |
| 2006 | Steve Jones | For his campaign against creationism and his promotion of science.[2] | Dick Taverne |
| 2007 | Mina Ahadi | For her work in support of Iranian women, against stoning and executions and in support of Muslims who renounce their religion.[3] | Joan Smith |
| 2008 | – | Event postponed to February 2009 in order to coincide with the NSS's "200th Birthday Party for Charles Darwin" | – |
| 2009 | Lord Avebury, Evan Harris MP | Jointly awarded for their contribution to the abolition of blasphemy law in the UK.[4][5] | Richard Dawkins |
| 2010 | Southall Black Sisters | For the group's support of black and Asian women's human rights (accepted by Pragna Patel).[6] | Michael Irwin |
| 2011 | Sophie in 't Veld MEP | For her work as chair of the European Parliamentary Platform for Secularism in Politics.[7] | A. C. Grayling |
| 2012 | Peter Tatchell | For his lifelong commitment in defence of human rights against religious fundamentalism.[8][9] | Nick Cohen |
| 2013 | Plan UK | In honour of young human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, the cash prize was donated to the charity for its campaign to ensure equal access to education for girls worldwide (accepted by Debbie Langdon-Davies).[10][11] | Michael Cashman MEP |
| 2014 | Şafak Pavey | For her work in defending human rights and the rights of women and minorities in Turkey.[12][13] | Kerry McCarthy MP |
| 2015 | Charlie Hebdo | For its courageous response to the terrorist attack in which several of its editors were assassinated.[14] | Martin Rowson |
| 2016 | Educate Together | For its commitment to delivering non-denominational, "equality-based" education to all children, irrespective of their social, cultural or religious background (accepted by Paul Rowe).[15] | Julia Hartley-Brewer |
References
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