Prajakta Koli Becomes First Indian To Judge UN SDG Action Awards 

Prajakta Koli joins the 2026 UN SDG Action Awards jury, becoming the first Indian to serve on the global judging panel.

Indian actor and content creator Prajakta Koli has added another global milestone to her growing list of achievements. She has been appointed to the High-Level Panel of Judges for the 2026 Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards, becoming the first Indian to serve on the panel. Koli is also the only Indian representative on this year’s judging panel, which will evaluate more than 5,000 entries submitted from 190 countries. The global programme is organised by the UN SDG Action Campaign and hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Prajakta Koli Joins A Global Panel

As part of the judging panel, Prajakta will help evaluate initiatives from across the world that are working towards a more sustainable, equitable and peaceful future. The 2026 panel brings together leaders and personalities from different fields, including UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, UNDP Administrator 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.

Her appointment also follows the participation of several prominent entertainment personalities on the panel in recent years, including Nomzamo Mbatha, Sabrina Dhowre Elba, Merve Dizdar and Uğur Gallenkuş.

From Creator To Global Youth Advocate

Prajakta has built her career across content creation, acting and writing, but her work has also increasingly moved into youth and climate advocacy. Prajakta appeared on the inaugural TIME100 Creators list and now serves as UNDP India’s Youth Climate Champion.

Through this role, she has represented young people at major international platforms, including COP28, the World Economic Forum in Davos, the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week NYC. Her global advocacy work now adds another dimension to her appointment on the UN SDG Action Awards jury.

What Are The UN SDG Action Awards?

Now in their ninth year, the UN SDG Action Awards recognise initiatives and individuals contributing to progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The 2026 awards will recognise work across three categories:

• Changemaker Award
• Creativity Award
• Resilience Award

The finalists will travel to Rome, Italy, where they will take part in a coaching and capacity-building programme ahead of the awards ceremony.The ceremony will take place on October 29, 2026, with UN WebTV and Italy’s national broadcaster RAI broadcasting it globally.