Annual Humanist Awardees

2025

Humanist of the Year:
Jelani Cobb

Fred Edwords, Lifetime Achievement Award

Megan Hunt, Religious Liberty Award

Hemant Mehta, Humanist Media Award

Nadine Smith, LGBTQ Humanist Award

HumanistsMN, AHA Chapter of the Year

2024

Humanist of the Year:
Amy Goodman

Ted Chiang, Inquiry and Innovation Humanist Award

Karen Hao, Humanist Media Award

Rep. Jamie Raskin & Rep. Jared Huffman, Religious Liberty Award

2023

Humanist of the Year:
Dr. Michael E. Mann

Dr. Stephon Alexander, Isaac Asimov Science Award

Dr. David Breeden, Humanist Distinguished Service Award

2021

Humanist of the Year:
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.

2020

Humanist of the Year:
Rep. Jared Huffman

In addition to our Humanist of the Year, in September the AHA partnered with the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard to present the 2020 Harvard Humanist of the Year Award to three inspiring humanists: Ijeoma Oluo, Sikivu Hutchinson, and Mandisa Thomas.

2019

Humanist of the Year:
Salman Rushdie

Pamela Gay, Isaac Asimov Science Award

Barry Kosmin, Lifetime Achievement Award

Leighann Lord, Humanist Arts Award

Mara Wilson, LGBTQ Humanist Award

Richard Wiseman, Humanist Media Award

In addition to these awards, Dr. K. Veeramani was presented with the 2019 Humanist Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Humanism and Self-Respect Conference co-hosted by the AHA and Periyar International. 

2018

Humanist of the Year:
Jennifer Ouellette

Dan Blinn, President’s Award

Andrew Bradley, Humanist Arts Award

Deven Green, Humanist Arts Award

Gavin Grimm, Keynote Speaker

Ana Kasparian, Humanist Media Award

Ijeoma Oluo, Feminist Humanist Award

David Suzuki, Lifetime Achievement Award

2017

Humanist of the Year:
Adam Savage

Susie Bright, Feminist Humanist Award

Martin Castro, Religious Liberty Award

Staceyann Chin, LGBTQ Humanist Award

Sylvia Earle, Isaac Asimov Science Award

Dot Scott, Keynote Speaker

Herb Silverman, Lifetime Achievement Award

Jim Peterson, President’s Award

2016

Humanist of the Year:
Jared Diamond

Medea Benjamin, Humanist Heroine Award

Sen. Ernie Chambers, Lifetime Achievement Award

John de Lancie, Humanist Arts Award

Victoria Gettman, President’s Award

Elizabeth Loftus, Isaac Asimov Award

John Shelby Spong, Religious Liberty Award

2015

Keynote Speaker: Kelly Carlin

Jean Kilbourne, Humanist Heroine Award

Marci Hamilton, Religious Liberty Award

Seena Vali, The Onion, Humanist Media Award

Lynn Rothschild, Isaac Asimov Science Award

2014

Humanist of the Year: Barney Frank

Natalie Angier, Humanist Media Award

Greg Graffin, Humanist Arts Award

Steve Rade, Humanist Business Award

Dr. Eugenie Scott, Lifetime Achievement Award

Max Tegmark, Keynote Speaker

Jessica Valenti, Humanist Heroine Award

2013

Humanist of the Year: Dan Savage

Greta Christina, LGBT Humanist Pride

Carl Coon, Lifetime Achievement Award

Richard Leakey, Isaac Asimoc Science Award

Katha Pollitt, Humanist Heroine Award

2012

Humanist of the Year: Gloria Steinem

Jessica Ahlquist & Damon Fowler, Humanist Pioneer Awards

Ira Flatow, Isaac Asimov Science Award

Debra Sweet, Humanist Heroine Award

James Randi, Lifetime Achievement Award

George Takei, LGBT Humanist Pride Award

Cenk Uygur, Humanist Media Award

2011

Humanist of the Year: Rebecca Newberger Goldstein

Bart Ehrman, Religious Liberty Award
Judy Norsigian, Humanist Heroine Award
Steve Wozniak, Isaac Asimov Science Award

2010

Humanist of the Year: Bill Nye

Frank Berger, Lifetime Achievement Award
Meg Bowman, Humanist Heroine Awards
Annie Laurie Gaylor, Humanist Heroine Award
Wendy Liu, Humanist Pioneer Award

2009

Humanist of the Year: PZ Myers

Barbara Forrest, Humanist Pioneer Award
Norma Ramos, Humanist Heroine Award
Neil deGrasse Tyson, Isaac Asimov Science Award

2008

Humanist of the Year: Pete Stark

Judge John E. Jones III, Humanist Religious Liberty Award
Matthew LaClair, Humanist Pioneer Award
Eleanor Smeal, Humanist Heroine Award
Carolyn Porco, Isaac Asimov Science Award
Philip Pullman, International Humanist Award
Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin, Humanist Distinguished Service Award

2007

Humanist of the Year: Joyce Carol Oates

Steven R. Benson, Humanist Arts Award
Welton Gaddy, Humanist Religious Liberty Award
Paul Kurtz, Lifetime Achievement Award
Robin Morgan, Humanist Heroine Award

2006

Humanist of the Year:  Steven Pinker

Louis Appignani, Humanist Business Award
Kim Gandy, Humanist Heroine and Humanist Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Herbert Hauptman, Isaac Asimov Science Award
Julia Sweeney, Humanist Pioneer Award

2005

Humanist of the Year:  Murray Gell-Mann

Ursula Goodenough, Humanist Pioneer Award
Amy Goodman, Humanist Heronine Award
Jim McCollum, Humanist Religious Liberty Award
Ellery Schempp, Humanist Religious Liberty Award
Robert Tapp, Horace Mann Humanist Education Award

2004

Humanist of the Year:  Daniel C. Dennett

Joseph and Barbara Gerstein, Humanist Pioneer Awards
Aileen Hernandez, Humanist Heroine Award
Michael Newdow, Humanist Pioneer Award
Joe Nickel, Isaac Asimov Award
Nadine Strossen, Religious Liberty Award

2003

Humanist of the Year:  Sherwin T. Wine

Gloria Feldt, Humanist Distinguished Service Award
Kate Michelmann, Humanist Heroine Award
Helen Thomas, Religious Liberty Award

1995

Humanist of the Year:  Ashley Montagu

Rosemary Matson, Humanist Heroine Award

1994

Humanist of the Year:  Lloyd Morain & Mary Morain

Kristin Lemes, Humanist Heroine Award

1993

Humanist of the Year:  Richard D. Lamm

Barbara G. Walker, Humanist Heroine Award

1992

Humanist of the Year:  Kurt Vonnegut

Sally Roesch Wagner, Humanist Heroine Award

1991

Humanists of the Year:  Werner Fornos & Lester R. Brown

Sherry Matulis, Humanist Heroine Award
Gene Roddenberry, Humanist Arts Award
Sherwin Wine, Humanist Pioneer Award

1990

Humanist of the Year: Ted Turner

Carolyn McDade, Humanist Heroine Award

1989

Humanist of the Year: Gerald A. Larue

Ann Simonton, Humanist Heroine Award

1988

Humanist of the Year: Leo Pfeffer

Cleo Kocol, Humanist Heroine Award

1987

Humanist of the Year: Margaret Atwood

Fran Hosken, Humanist Heroine Award

1986

Humanist of the Year: Faye Wattleton

Ben Munson, MD, Humanist Heroine Award

1985

Humanist of the Year: John Kenneth Galbraith

Katharine Hepburn, Humanist Arts Award
Anne Nicol Gaylor, Humanist Heroine Award

1984

Tish Sommers, Humanist Heroine Award

1983

Humanist of the Year: Lester A. Kirkendall

Christine Craft, Humanist Heroine Award

1982

Humanist of the Year: Helen Caldicott

Sonia Johnson, Humanist Heroine Award

1981

Humanist of the Year: Carl Sagan

1980

Humanist of the Year: Andrei Sakharov

1979

Humanist of the Year: Edwin H. Wilson

1978

Humanist of the Year: Margaret E. Kuhn

1977

Humanist of the Year: Corliss Lamont

1976

Humanist of the Year: Jonas E. Salk

1975

Humanists of the Year: Betty Friedan, Henry Morgentaler

1974

Humanist of the Year: Mary Calderone

1973

Humanist of the Year: Thomas Szasz

1972

Humanist of the Year: B.F. Skinner

1971

Humanist of the Year: Albert Ellis

1970

Humanist of the Year: A. Philip Randolph

1969

Humanist of the Year: R. Buckminster Fuller

1968

Humanist of the Year: Benjamin Spock

1967

Humanist of the Year: Abraham H. Maslow

1966

Humanist of the Year: Erich Fromm

1965

Humanist of the Year: Hudson Hoagland

1964

Humanist of the Year: Carl Rogers

1963

Humanist of the Year: Hermann J. Muller

1962

Humanist of the Year: Julian Huxley

1961

Humanist of the Year: Linus Pauling

1960

Humanist of the Year: Leo Szilard

1959

Humanist of the Year: Brock Chisholm

1958

Humanist of the Year: Oscar Riddle

1957

Humanist of the Year: Margaret Sanger

1956

Humanist of the Year: C. Judson Herrick

1955

Humanist of the Year: James P. Warbasse

1954

Humanist of the Year: Arthur F. Bentley

1953

Humanist of the Year: Anton J. Carlson