These awards acknowledge the efforts of “visionaries” to “change the world for the better”, in the words of the publication.
Introduced in 2005, the awards honor the notable efforts of individuals and organizations that are working to preserve the world's natural and man-made treasures. This year's awards panel included: award-winning industrial designer Yves Béhar; the president of the World Monuments Fund, Bonnie Burnham; conservationist and philanthropist Gregory Carr; the executive director of the Gensler global design firm, David Gensler; the executive chairman of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Ho Kwon Ping; the co-founder of Women for Women International, Zainab Salbi; Nobel winning economist Joseph Stiglitz; the director of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, Anya Schiffrin; and Room to Read founder John Wood.