Prajakta Koli becomes first Indian to join UN SDG action awards judging panel
Prajakta Koli has been appointed to the High-Level Panel of Judges for the 2026 Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards. With the appointment, she becomes the first Indian to serve on the judging panel and the only Indian representative on this year’s jury.
The actor, content creator, activist and bestselling author will be part of the panel evaluating more than 5,000 entries submitted from 190 countries. The global recognition programme is organised by the UN SDG Action Campaign and hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Prajakta is known for her work in entertainment, including the Netflix romantic-comedy series Mismatched. She also recently appeared in Netflix’s war drama Operation Safed Sagar. Her appointment continues the participation of prominent names from the entertainment industry on the judging panel in recent years, including South African actor Nomzamo Mbatha, Somali-Canadian model and actor Sabrina Dhowre Elba, Turkish actor Merve Dizdar and Turkish visual storyteller Uğur Gallenkuş.
The 2026 panel features an international group of judges, including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, UNDP Administrator and former Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs Felipe Paullier, Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar and Cannes Best Actress winner Merve Dizdar.
Now in its ninth year, the UN SDG Action Awards recognises initiatives across three categories: the Changemaker Award, the Creativity Award and the Resilience Award. Nine global finalists will travel to Rome, Italy, for a coaching and capacity-building programme before the awards ceremony on October 29, 2026. The event will be broadcast globally through UN WebTV and Italy’s national broadcaster RAI.
Speaking about her appointment, Prajakta Koli states, “I have always believed in the power of storytelling, creativity and young people taking charge. In a world facing so many big challenges, progress starts with people. The Heroes of Tomorrow are fearless and persistent changemakers using innovation, art and bold action against the odds to build a more sustainable, equitable and peaceful world.”
Prajakta has also been involved in youth and climate advocacy. She was featured on the inaugural TIME100 Creators list and serves as UNDP India’s Youth Climate Champion. In this capacity, she has represented young people at international platforms including COP28, the World Economic Forum in Davos, the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week NYC.
The UN SDG Action Awards are produced in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
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