Call for Nominations: World No Tobacco Day 2027 Awards

The World Health Organization (WHO) is inviting nominations for individuals, organizations, collectives, and government entities that have made outstanding contributions to tobacco control. The 2027 awards focus on mental well-being and protecting young people from tobacco and nicotine, recognizing leadership, innovation, and progress in implementing or sustaining effective tobacco control measures.

About the WHO World No Tobacco Day Awards 2027

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking nominations for individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, or commitment to advancing tobacco control.

The 2027 awards are linked to the World No Tobacco Day theme of protecting young minds from tobacco and nicotine, with a particular focus on mental well-being.

The awards recognize meaningful contributions to tobacco control policies and measures, particularly efforts that support implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

Purpose of the Awards

The awards aim to recognize people and organizations that have helped strengthen tobacco control at the local, national, regional, or international level.

Recognition may be given for:

• Developing or implementing effective tobacco control policies.
• Introducing innovative tobacco control measures.
• Advancing implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
• Protecting children and young people from tobacco and nicotine exposure.
• Supporting policies that address the impact of tobacco and nicotine on mental well-being.
• Sustaining successful tobacco control achievements.
• Demonstrating exceptional leadership in tobacco control.
• Making significant progress during the past five years.

2027 Award Theme

The 2027 awards place particular emphasis on mental well-being and protecting young minds from tobacco and nicotine.

This reflects growing concern about the ways tobacco and nicotine products can affect young people and the importance of creating environments that protect younger generations from tobacco-related harm.

Nominations that demonstrate a clear connection between tobacco control, youth protection, and mental well-being may therefore be particularly relevant.

Who Can Be Nominated?

Nominations are open to a broad range of individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to tobacco control.

Eligible nominees may include:

• Individuals
• Collectives
• Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)
• Government departments
• Government ministries

Nominees may have contributed to tobacco control at any of the following levels:

• Local
• National
• Regional
• International

What Contributions Are Recognized?

The awards are intended for nominees who can demonstrate exceptional and measurable contributions to tobacco control.

Examples of relevant achievements may include:

• Introducing new tobacco control legislation or policies.
• Strengthening enforcement of tobacco control measures.
• Supporting implementation of WHO FCTC provisions.
• Developing innovative approaches to tobacco prevention.
• Protecting young people from tobacco and nicotine products.
• Supporting public awareness and education.
• Addressing emerging tobacco and nicotine-related challenges.
• Helping maintain successful tobacco control policies over time.
• Building partnerships that strengthen tobacco control efforts.

The contribution should generally demonstrate meaningful progress or sustained achievement, particularly within the five years preceding the nomination.

Why It Matters

Tobacco control plays an important role in protecting public health and reducing exposure to harmful tobacco and nicotine products.

Recognizing successful tobacco control leaders can:

• Highlight effective public health interventions.
• Encourage governments and organizations to strengthen tobacco control.
• Promote innovative approaches to protecting young people.
• Increase awareness of tobacco-related risks.
• Support implementation of evidence-based policies.
• Encourage countries and communities to sustain tobacco control progress.

The 2027 focus additionally highlights the importance of protecting the mental well-being of young people from the potential harms associated with tobacco and nicotine.

Who Is Encouraged to Be Nominated?

WHO is particularly encouraging nominations that increase representation across different regions and communities.

Special encouragement is given to nominations of:

• Women
• Candidates from underrepresented countries
• Candidates from underrepresented regions

This approach aims to highlight tobacco control achievements from a diverse range of settings rather than focusing only on traditionally prominent organizations or countries.

Who Is Not Eligible?

Certain individuals and groups cannot be nominated for the awards.

Ineligible nominees include:

• WHO staff members.
• Other United Nations staff members.
• Relatives of WHO or other UN staff members.
• Individuals or collectives involved with the tobacco industry.
• Previous award recipients from the past five years.

The exclusion of tobacco industry participants is particularly important because the awards are intended to recognize independent contributions to tobacco control.

Key Eligibility Considerations

Before submitting a nomination, nominators should ensure that the proposed candidate:

1. Has made an outstanding contribution to tobacco control.
2. Has demonstrated leadership, innovation, or significant achievement.
3. Has contributed at a local, national, regional, or international level.
4. Can demonstrate relevant achievements, particularly within the past five years.
5. Is not connected to the tobacco industry.
6. Is not a WHO or UN staff member or their relative.
7. Has not received the relevant award within the previous five years.

How to Prepare a Strong Nomination

A strong nomination should clearly explain what the nominee achieved, how the contribution advanced tobacco control, and why the achievement is significant.

1. Identify the contribution

Clearly describe the nominee’s main tobacco control achievement.

For example, explain whether the nominee:

• Introduced a policy.
• Led a major tobacco prevention initiative.
• Improved implementation of tobacco control measures.
• Developed an innovative intervention.
• Protected young people from tobacco or nicotine.

2. Demonstrate impact

Explain the results of the nominee’s work.

Where possible, include evidence such as:

• Number of people reached.
• Policy changes achieved.
• Improvements in implementation.
• Partnerships established.
• Communities or young people benefiting from the initiative.
• Evidence of sustained progress.

3. Connect the contribution to the 2027 theme

Explain how the nominee’s work relates to mental well-being and protecting young minds from tobacco and nicotine where applicable.

4. Highlight innovation or leadership

Describe what makes the nominee’s contribution exceptional.

This could include innovative policy approaches, strong community leadership, effective partnerships, or successful strategies that could be replicated elsewhere.

5. Provide clear supporting information

The nomination should be specific and evidence-based rather than relying on general statements about the nominee’s commitment to tobacco control.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Nominators should avoid:

• Providing only general praise without evidence.
• Failing to explain the nominee’s specific contribution.
• Ignoring the five-year achievement period.
• Nominating someone connected to the tobacco industry.
• Nominating a recent award recipient who is within the five-year exclusion period.
• Failing to demonstrate the impact of the nominee’s work.
• Providing insufficient information about leadership or innovation.
• Overlooking the relevance of youth protection and mental well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can be nominated for the WHO World No Tobacco Day Awards 2027?

Individuals, collectives, nongovernmental organizations, government departments, and government ministries that have made outstanding contributions to tobacco control can be nominated.

What is the theme of the 2027 awards?

The 2027 awards focus on mental well-being, with particular emphasis on protecting young people from tobacco and nicotine.

What types of tobacco control contributions are recognized?

The awards recognize exceptional leadership, innovation, policy implementation, and sustained progress in tobacco control, particularly contributions aligned with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Can government departments and ministries be nominated?

Yes. Government departments and ministries that have made outstanding contributions to tobacco control are eligible for nomination.

Are women and candidates from underrepresented regions encouraged to apply?

Yes. WHO is particularly encouraging nominations of women and candidates from underrepresented countries and regions.

Who cannot be nominated?

WHO and other UN staff members, their relatives, individuals or collectives involved with the tobacco industry, and previous awardees from the past five years are not eligible.

How far back should a nominee’s achievements be considered?

The 2027 awards place emphasis on significant tobacco control progress, including the implementation of new policies or the continuation of existing achievements, within the past five years.

Conclusion

The WHO World No Tobacco Day Awards 2027 provide an opportunity to recognize individuals, organizations, and government bodies that have made exceptional contributions to tobacco control. With a focus on mental well-being and protecting young minds from tobacco and nicotine, the awards highlight leadership, innovation, policy progress, and sustained public health achievements. Strong nominations should clearly demonstrate the nominee’s impact, relevance to tobacco control, and contribution to protecting communities—particularly young people—from tobacco and nicotine-related harms.