Lifetime Achievement Award

In addition to the Disturbing the Peace Award, the Vaclav Havel Center also presents a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating extraordinary individuals whose creative and moral courage have shaped global culture and advanced the fight for human rights. It has recently been awarded to iconic artists and activists Joan Baez, Peter Gabriel, and Salman Rushdie — whose voices have inspired generations to stand up for freedom, dignity, and truth.

Previous winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award:

2023: Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie (born 1947) is an acclaimed British-American novelist known for his imaginative storytelling, bold political themes, and blending of magical realism with history. His breakthrough novel Midnight’s Children won the Booker Prize and is considered one of the most important works of modern literature. Rushdie gained global attention with The Satanic Verses (1988), which sparked significant controversy and led to years of living under threat. Despite this, he has continued to write award-winning fiction, memoirs, and essays, becoming a leading voice for artistic freedom and free expression. Today, Rushdie is recognized as one of the most influential literary figures of our time.

2024: Peter Gabriel

Musician Peter Gabriel co-founded Genesis, made seven albums with them, and left in 1975 to release solo albums and film scores, with his latest album ‘i/o’ in 2023 reaching number 1 in the UK. He has received numerous awards, including several Grammys, BRITs, and MTV awards, and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Gabriel founded the WOMAD Festival and Real World Records, which supports global artists, and created Real World Studios. Active in human rights since 1980, he co-founded WITNESS.org and the Elders.org, receiving prestigious awards for his activism. He also co-founded The Interspecies Internet and has various business interests in innovative technology.

2025: Joan Baez

For six decades, as a singer and nonviolent activist, Joan kept her pact with the spirit of her voice. At times when it was neither safe nor fashionable, she put herself on the line, tirelessly championing human rights. The soundtrack for the turbulent ‘60s is heard on Joan’s remarkable, timeless Vanguard LPs and the merger of her music and her message echoes throughout her recorded legacy.

Joan has received countless awards and honors. She is also an author and an accomplished portrait painter. Her two recent solo exhibitions of portraits highlight risk-taking visionaries who have brought about social change through nonviolent action.