The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has opened nominations for the ASEAN Prize 2026, with submissions accepted until May 25, 2026 (5:00 PM, GMT+7) through each member state’s National Focal Point.
Now on its 9th edition, the ASEAN Prize recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations whose work strengthens regional cooperation, deepens people-to-people engagement, and advances an inclusive and outward-looking ASEAN Community.
The 2026 recipient will receive a $20,000 cash prize and a trophy to be awarded at a major ASEAN ceremony under the Philippines’ chairmanship, with support from the Temasek Foundation.
ASEAN is calling for nominees whose contributions demonstrate impact across key areas, including: collaboration among ASEAN member states; partnerships between ASEAN and global stakeholders; people-to-people engagement; economic integration and standards promotion; and broader contributions to ASEAN community-building.
Eligible nominees must be ASEAN citizens or ASEAN-based organizations and should present verifiable achievements since the establishment of the ASEAN Community in 2015, along with plans to sustain their impact beyond the award.
Nominations must be submitted through National Focal Points and include supporting documents, as well as a character reference. Self-nominations and posthumous nominations are not accepted.
The selection process will be led by a judging panel chaired by ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn, composed of current and former ASEAN Secretaries-General.
In 2025, the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) was honored for advancing regional understanding through youth-led and intercultural initiatives, underscoring the role of young people in building a more cohesive ASEAN.
Since its launch in 2018, the ASEAN Prize has recognized eight recipients — four individuals and four organizations — for their contributions to regional integration, cooperation, and identity-building.
Interested nominators may download the official form from the ASEAN website and submit entries through their respective National Focal Points before the May 25 deadline.
| ASEAN Member States | National Focal Points for the ASEAN Prize |
| Brunei Darussalam | ASEAN-Brunei Darussalam National Secretariat Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam. Email : dept.ofasean@mfa.gov.bn |
| Cambodia | General Department of ASEAN Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Email: mfaic.asean@mfaic.gov.kh |
| Indonesia | Directorate of ASEAN Social and Cultural Cooperation Ministry of Foreign Affairs Email: dit.ksba@kemlu.go.id; direktoratkfa@gmail.com |
| Lao PDR | ASEAN Political-Security Community Division Lao National ASEAN Secretariat Email: aseanlaos@gmail.com |
| Malaysia | ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat Email: myasean@kln.gov.my |
| Myanmar | Socio-cultural Division, ASEAN-Myanmar National Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Email: dgasean@gmail.com; amns.mofa@gmail.com |
| Philippines | ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Division ASEAN-Philippines National Secretariat Email: asean@dfa.gov.ph |
| Singapore | ASEAN-Singapore National Secretariat Email: Mfa_asean_singapore@mfa.gov.sg |
| Thailand | Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs ASEAN-Thailand National Secretariat Email: mfa1202@mfa.go.th |
| Timor-Leste | Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Directorate General for ASEAN Affairs Timor-Leste ASEAN National Secretariat Email: rdtlasean@mnec.gov.tl |
| Viet Nam | ASEAN-Viet Nam National Secretariat Email: asean.mfa@mofa.gov.vn; asean.mfa.vn@gmail.com |