Gabriel Zucman, the Human Act Award 2026 Winner
Inequality Wealth Tax

Making Inequality Visible: The 2026 Human Act Award

The Human Act Award was born in 2020 out of a simple but urgent necessity: to spotlight the people turning global challenges into human solutions.

At its core, this award isn’t about titles or popularity; it’s about impact. We look for the “dreamers and doers” who don’t just study the world’s problems but provide the tools to fix them. We recognize those who take the abstract—inequality, poverty, and broken systems—and make them visible, understandable, and most importantly, changeable.

Our Search for Change

Every year, our selection is guided by a few core principles. We look for:

  • Clarity: Can they explain a complex crisis in a way that moves people to action?
  • Consistency: Is their life’s work dedicated to the long-term fight for fairness?
  • Impact: Are their ideas moving from the page into the real world?

The process is thoughtful and focused. We look for voices that bridge the gap between high-level research and the everyday lives of people around the world. We look for the courage to challenge the status quo.

Human Act Award 2026 Official Poster

Why Gabriel Zucman?

This year, we are proud to honor Gabriel Zucman as the 2026 Human Act Award winner.

For too long, the mechanics of extreme wealth have been hidden behind offshore walls and complex tax codes. Gabriel has dedicated his career to tearing those walls down. Through his leadership at the International Tax Observatory, he has revealed exactly how global tax systems shift the financial burden away from billionaires and onto ordinary people.

What makes Gabriel’s work stand out is its urgency. He hasn’t just published data; he has fueled a global movement. His proposal for a 2% global minimum tax on billionaires is no longer just a theory; it is a viable roadmap for a more just society.

From Knowledge to Action

We chose Gabriel because he embodies the very purpose of this award: the belief that knowledge is a responsibility. By making the invisible visible, he has given us the data we need to demand a fairer world.

Gabriel Zucman is the architect of a new kind of economy, one that values transparency, justice, and the common good over the concentration of wealth. We are honored to stand with him.

Explore the 2026 Human Act Award

Join us in celebrating a visionary rewriting the rules of wealth for the many.

Our partners & collaborators

The Momentum Institute challenges the social and economic status quo by contextualising and disseminating scientific work. Developing proposals for a more sustainable and inclusive society since 2019.

Taxmenow focuses on initiating changes in the tax system. To do this, members use their privileged access to the media to highlight the damaging effects of wealth inequality.

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Millionaires for Humanity is a collective network of HNWI’s, using their voices to promote wealth taxes across the globe. Advocating for a 1% wealth tax on multimillionaires to achieve the SDG’s.

Patriotic Millionaires seek to combat the destabilizing level of economic and political inequality in America. Patriotic Millionaires members include investors and business owners from across the country.

Religions for Peace has been a movement changing the world and challenging the status quo through the mutual conviction that religions are more powerful, inspiring, and impactful together.

ActionAid Denmark is a movement that fights for a more just and sustainable world. Supporting youths in developing their voice and applying pressure on those in power.

Oxfam is a global movement of people who are fighting inequality to end poverty and injustice. Working across regions in about 70 countries, with thousands of partners, supporting communities to build better lives.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.