Five philanthropists and one nonprofit organisation whose vision and generosity are tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges were recognised at a private ceremony in Edinburgh last week.
The international family of Carnegie institutions gathered in Scotland – the birth country of founder, 19th century philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie – to celebrate the achievements of the 2025 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy recipients:
- Carol Colburn Grigor CBE, recognised for her commitment to supporting the arts and cultural life across the UK, Ireland, the United States, and Australia.
- Joe Neubauer and Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer, honoured for their lifelong contributions to education, public safety, and the arts.
- Barbara and Amos Hostetter, acknowledged for their leadership and lasting impact through the Barr Foundation, which has granted over $1.5 billion to climate, education, and the arts since 1997.
Comic Relief received the 2025 Carnegie Catalyst Award for its pioneering use of entertainment and collective action to raise more than £1.6billion to address poverty and inequality in the UK and internationally.
Co-founders Sir Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis CBE accepted the award and a $50,000 grant on the organisation’s behalf.
Accepting the award, Richard Curtis CBE said: “Both Lenny and I are deeply honoured to accept the Carnegie Catalyst Award on behalf of Comic Relief. When we began our journey back in 1985 our primary goal was to be exactly that – a catalyst for charitable efforts across the UK and beyond.
“We didn’t set out to be personally recognised, we intended to make change and encourage others to do the same. We’re proud that, over the last 40 years, funds raised by Comic Relief have supported some of the most vital services and organisations across the UK and internationally, and to be recognised as a philanthropic catalyst by the Carnegie institution is a major accolade for us.
“It means a lot to us to accept this award for our efforts in driving a culture of charitable change – for me the award is an acknowledgement of the kindness and generosity of every single person who has, in some way or another, been involved with Comic Relief over the years – and the value of every single pound that has been donated.”
The awards ceremony took place at the historic Signet Library in Edinburgh.
Gillian Taylor, CEO of Carnegie Dunfermline and Hero Fund Trust, one of the host organisations, said: “It has been an honour to welcome the Carnegie family of institutions and this year’s recipients back to Scotland for the first time in ten years.
“Today’s events truly highlighted the extent to which generosity and action can shape the future and we are proud as an institution to continue to drive change decades on from our founders’ efforts.”
Professor Dame Louise Richardson DBE, President of Carnegie Corporation of New York, added: “It has been an inspiration to gather in Andrew Carnegie’s native Scotland to celebrate this year’s medallists and Catalyst Award recipients.
“The honourees are exemplars of philanthropy that, in the words of Carnegie, help ‘bend the universal tree of humanity a little in the direction most favourable to the production of good fruit.’”
The 2025 ceremony was hosted collaboratively by the three UK-based Carnegie institutions: Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, Carnegie UK, and The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland.
It marks only the third time the awards have been presented in the UK since their inception in 2001.
