Press Release
Published on October 1, 2025
New York City — Human Rights First is proud to announce that renowned actor, humanitarian, and activist Richard Gere will be the recipient of the organization’s inaugural Visionary Award, to be presented at the 2025 Human Rights First Awards Celebration on October 14 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
The Visionary Award was created to recognize champions who use their influence, professional accomplishments, and creativity to put human rights first and achieve outsize impact. Richard Gere has dedicated a storied career not only to artistic expression as actor, producer and photographer, but also to championing the rights and dignity of oppressed people worldwide. His lifetime of steadfast advocacy for the human rights of Tibetans – exemplified by his chairing the International Campaign for Tibet and co-founding Tibet House US– have shaped bipartisan U.S. and international policy and thwarted Chinese Communist Party efforts to co-opt Tibetan culture. All the while, Gere has been at the forefront of the global fight against HIV/AIDS for decades, and championed the rights of indigenous persons, vulnerable refugees, homeless, and humanitarian crisis response through the Gere Foundation he founded in 1991.
Uzra Zeya, President and CEO of Human Rights First, commented, “As the inaugural recipient of the Human Rights First Visionary Award, Richard Gere embodies the spirit of artistry in service of justice. His lifetime commitment to putting human rights first demonstrates the transformative power of artistic excellence in speaking truth to power and mobilizing global solidarity that transcends both physical and ideological boundaries. Richard Gere’s example reminds us that human rights are for everybody, and everybody deserves rights.”
The 2025 Human Rights First Awards Celebration will also feature the presentation of the Marvin E. Frankel Award for exceptional pro bono legal service, the William D. Zabel Human Rights Award honoring global human rights advocacy, and others. Together, the honorees represent the courage, compassion, and vision needed to confront today’s greatest challenges to freedom and dignity.
For more information on the Awards Celebration, click here.
