The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) has announced three recipients of the 2026 Ramon Magsaysay Award, recognising outstanding contributions to diplomacy, humanitarian service, human rights and public leadership in Asia.
The 2026 laureates are Tommy Koh of Singapore, Runa Khan of Bangladesh and Bo Kyi of Myanmar. The foundation describes the Ramon Magsaysay Award as Asia’s premier prize and highest honour, celebrating “greatness of spirit” and selfless service to Asian communities.
The three winners were announced on August 31, 2026, which is the birth anniversary of former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay. The formal presentation ceremony is scheduled for November 15, 2026, at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, Philippines.
Ramon Magsaysay Award is widely regarded as Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
2026 Ramon Magsaysay Award Winners
| Awardee | Country | Major Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Tommy Koh | Singapore | Diplomacy, international law and peaceful cooperation |
| Runa Khan | Bangladesh | Humanitarian service and development of vulnerable communities |
| Bo Kyi | Myanmar | Human rights and advocacy for political prisoners |
The three recipients bring the total number of Ramon Magsaysay Awardees to 359, comprising 331 individuals and 28 organisations from 24 Asian countries and territories, according to the foundation.
About Winners:
- Tommy Koh, a Singaporean diplomat, lawyer and academic, has been honoured for decades of work promoting international cooperation, dialogue, justice and peaceful resolution of disputes. In the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as president of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1982, Koh helped lead more than 150 nations towards adoption of the landmark agreement governing ocean rights and maritime affairs.
- Runa Khan, from Bangladesh, has been recognised for her humanitarian work among some of the country’s most vulnerable communities. She founded Friendship, an organisation that initially began with a hospital ship serving remote communities and subsequently developed into a broad social-development model.
- Bo Kyi, a Myanmar human-rights activist and former political prisoner, has been recognised for his long-standing campaign for democracy, accountability and human rights. Bo Kyi was arrested following Myanmar’s pro-democracy demonstrations in 1988 and spent a total of seven years in prison. In 2000, he co-founded the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
What is the Ramon Magsaysay Award?
- The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in 1957 in memory of Ramon Magsaysay, the seventh President of the Philippines.
- The first awards were presented in 1958.
- From 1958 to 2008, the award was presented across six categories, including Government Service, Public Service, Community Leadership, Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts, Peace and International Understanding, and Emergent Leadership.
- Since 2009, the award has no longer been restricted to fixed categories, except for Emergent Leadership.
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