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The TED Prize was born out of the visions offered onstage at the TED Conference for how change can happen in the world, one idea at a time. The TED Prize was first awarded in 2005, to Robert Fischell (who wished for new cures to brain disorders), Edward Burtynsky (who wished for a global conversation about sustainability), and Bono (who wished for a social movement of activism for Africa). In the years after, the TED Prize was awarded to a diverse list of leaders, ranging from author Dave Eggers to oceanographer Sylvia Earle to space archaeologist Sarah Parcak to healthcare visionary Raj Panjabi. TED Prize wishes helped combat poverty, open dialogue on religious intolerance, inspire art in 150 countries and imagine the future of education.
The award
At its inception, the TED Prize award was $100,000, along with full access to the TED community’s range of talent and expertise. In 2013, it was expanded to a $1 million award, to help the winner quickly build capacity for carrying out their ambitious wish. The award was designed to support the building of a global project's core infrastructure, with people across the world adding their own collaborative action.
The wish
Imagine an inspiring, high-impact idea that could create ripples of change. Each TED Prize winner had that kind of ambitious wish — and the vision, pragmatism and leadership to make it come true. Millions of people around the world helped carry forward their ideas, with many still active today.
2005
- Portable Transcranial Magnetic Stimulator, Robert Fischell / Wiki, TED Speaker
- THE GREENS, Edward Burtynsky / Wiki, TED Speaker
- ONE.org, Paul "Bono" Hewson / Wiki, TED Speaker
2006
- Open Architecture Network, Cameron Sinclair / Wiki, TED Speaker
- Pangea Day, Jehane Noujaim / Wiki, TED Speaker
- InSTEDD, Larry Brilliant / Wiki, TED Speaker
2007
- Encyclopedia of Life, E. O. Wilson / Wiki, TED Speaker
- XDR-TB awareness, James Nachtwey / Wiki, TED Speaker
- Clinton Health Access Initiative: Rwanda, William J. Clinton, 42nd President of the USA / Wiki, TED Speaker
2008
- Once Upon a School, Dave Eggers / Wiki, TED Speaker
- Charter for Compassion, Karen Armstrong / Wiki, TED Speaker
- AIMS: Next Einstein Initiative, Neil Turok / Wiki, TED Speaker
2009
- Sistema Fellows Program, José Antonio Abreu / Wiki, TED Speaker
- Mission Blue, Sylvia Earle / Wiki, TED Speaker
- SETILive, Jill Tarter / Wiki, TED Speaker
2010
2011
- INSIDE OUT, JR / Wiki, TED Speaker
2012
2013
- School in the Cloud, Sugata Mitra / Wiki, TED Speaker
2014
- Global Witness, Charmian Gooch / Wiki, TED Speaker
2015
- StoryCorps.me, Dave Isay / Wiki, TED Speaker
2016
- GlobalXplorer.org, Sarah Parcak / Wiki, TED Speaker
2017
- Community Health Academy, Raj Panjabi / Wiki, TED Speaker