From the first step on the red carpet to the final note of the closing performance, the 2025 Global Citizen Awards lit up New York on Wednesday night as the must-attend event of the week. Some seven hundred leaders, dignitaries, changemakers, and celebrities filled the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown Manhattan for the Atlantic Council’s flagship annual event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
The point of the evening, Atlantic Council Chairman John F.W. Rogers explained, was to recognize and honor three global leaders “who have taken up the call to serve a purpose greater than oneself.” Those honorees were Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino, Argentinian President Javier Milei, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Each one, Rogers said, exemplifies a dedication to duty, and the character and contributions of each have “transcended the obligations of their own circumstances.”
“Today, we stand at a critical juncture in history,” Rogers continued. “Authoritarian regimes are on the rise, leveraging new technologies and innovations to strengthen their grip on power and undermine democratic values.” It is incumbent upon leaders and citizens alike, Rogers said, to help “articulate a vision of the world that enables democracies to thrive in this new era.”
Atlantic Council President and CEO Frederick Kempe emphasized that “sometimes we don’t understand how high the stakes are right now.” Kempe gave a call to action to the many leaders in the high-powered room, from business to government to the military to civil society: “You all have agency, you all can shape this future.”
Watch the full speech
Below are more highlights from the evening celebrating these three leaders.
