Anthony Albanese set to collect major international leadership award in New York

By NICHOLAS COMINO, POLITICAL REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 06:25, 17 May 2026 | Updated: 06:25, 17 May 2026 Anthony Albanese will jet to New York later this year to collect a prestigious international award, joining a winners' list that includes heavyweight political leaders and A-list celebrities. The Prime Minister will receive the Atlantic Council's Global Citizen Award during the United Nations General Assembly in September, at a high-profile ceremony attended by world leaders, business figures and cultural icons. The Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank founded in 1961, says the annual award recognises individuals who demonstrate 'distinguished leadership' in tackling global challenges. It describes the event as 'the premier forum for world leaders, diplomats, the C-suite, and the philanthropic, social and entertainment communities to celebrate the highest expression of global citizenship'. 'This special evening underscores the Atlantic Council's critical mission to shape the global future together, while recognising the accomplishments of key global citizens seeking to improve the state of the world,' the website says. Last year's recipients included French President Emmanuel Macron, Argentina's President Javier Milei and FIFA chief Gianni Infantino. But the award's list of winners stretches well beyond political leaders, featuring a mix of influential figures from politics, business and entertainment. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was honoured in 2024, while former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former South Korean President Moon Jae-in are also among past recipients. Anthony Albanese (pictured) will receive the Global Citizen Award in New York City.  Emmanuel Macron (left) is among the former recipients of the Global Citizen Award  Japan's late former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is another high-profile recipient. The list also extends into entertainment, with Hollywood icon Robert De Niro recognised in 2014 and Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am receiving the award in 2019. The Atlantic Council handed out its first Global Citizen Award in 2010 to World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab, setting the tone for a recipients list that has continued to blur the lines between politics, business and celebrity. The United Nations General Assembly will open on September 8, with the General Debate - where world leaders address the chamber - beginning on September 22 and running for two weeks. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.