The Top 50 finalists announced for the $1 million Gems Education Global Teacher Prize
, /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Teacher Prize’s 50-member short list has been revealed today, drawn from over 5,000 nominations and applications across 139 countries. Now in its tenth year, this $1 million prize stands as the largest of its kind, dedicated to recognizing a single remarkable teacher whose work elevates the profession and underscores the vital role educators play in society. By surfacing countless stories of educators who have transformed young lives, the prize brings into focus the extraordinary impact teachers have worldwide. Since its inception, the Global Teacher Prize has received more than 100,000 applications and nominations from around the globe.
The 50 finalists by region are as follows:
Africa
- Adeola Olufunke Akinsulure (Nigeria)
- Charnelle Arendse (South Africa)
- Jeremie Habumugisha (Rwanda)
- Jusinta Kwakyewaa (Ghana)
- Komlan Abalo Braly (Togo)
- Misheck Mutuzana (Zambia)
- Mwanaidy Ally Mwacha (Tanzania)
- Nkosana Butholenkosi Masuku (Zimbabwe)
- Shallom Maweu Sila (Kenya)
- Tijjani Mohammed Mukaddas (Nigeria)
Asia
- Aysel Şener (Turkey)
- Hala Abdelmoemn Mohamed Kotb Shahin (UAE)
- Hiroki Shinohara (Japan)
- Hossam Asal (Qatar)
- Maha Abumonshar (Palestine)
- Md Zahidul Islam (Bangladesh)
- Mehraj Khourshid Malik (India)
- Rouble Nagi (India)
- Saeed Salem Abdullah Al-Zahrani (Saudi Arabia)
- Salah El Sadi (Palestine)
- Sudhanshu Shekhar Panda (India)
- Tatyana Beloussova (Kazakhstan)
- Velerie Wheelervon Primus (Malaysia)
Australasia
- Colleen O'Rourke (Australia)
- Jade Bassett (Australia)
- Morgan Jayne McKeen (New Zealand)
Europe
- Alfonso Filippone (Italy)
- Ana Hernández Revuelta (Spain)
- Cristian Ruiz Reinales (Spain)
- Ewa Stefania Drobek (Poland)
- John McGoldrick (UK)
- Maja Džafić (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Mouniati Moana-Chakour (France)
- Oleksandr Dumyshynets (Ukraine)
- Panagiota Diamanti (Greece)
Latin America
- César Guillermo Fetzer Paz (Guatemala)
- Galileu da Silva Pires (Brazil)
- Gloria Argentina Cisneros (Argentina)
- Jairo Rafael Castro Acosta (Colombia)
- Joshue Castellanos Paternina (Colombia)
- Miguel Alejandro Rodríguez (Argentina)
- Mónica Milagros Lanchipa Bergamini (Peru)
- Nelsy Saray Valenzuela Flores (Mexico)
- Pablo Ariel Mollo Graña (Uruguay)
- Patricio Andrés Vilches Guerrero (Chile)
North America
- Esmeralda Mora (US)
- Jasmyn Nicole Wright (US)
- Kristin Jean Grender (US)
- Stephanie Anne King (US)
- Timothy James Stiven (US)
Sunny Varkey, founder of the Global Teacher Prize, GEMS Education, and The Varkey Foundation, commented:
"Congratulations to all the finalists. The Global Teacher Prize was created with a simple mission: to illuminate teachers whose dedication, creativity, and compassion deserve recognition and sharing with the world. Teachers shape minds, foster confidence, and open doors through which young people build brighter futures for themselves and others. Your work goes beyond the classroom—it touches lives and helps shape the world."
Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education, added:
"Congratulations to this year’s top 50 finalists. UNESCO is honored to stand alongside the Global Teacher Prize in celebrating the extraordinary commitment of teachers everywhere. Our world faces deep challenges—from teacher shortages and rapid tech changes to the urgent call of climate action. If we want a fair, inclusive, and sustainable future, we must acknowledge a simple truth: progress hinges on investing in teachers."
GEMS Education (https://www.gemseducation.com/en) ranks among the world’s leading private K-12 education providers, serving more than 200,000 students from over 176 nationalities across its network of schools. With nearly half a million alumni, GEMS has left a lasting, multi-generational impact. Founded in Dubai in 1959, GEMS remains family-founded and led by Sunny Varkey, with Dino Varkey (Group CEO) and Jay Varkey (Deputy Group CEO) guiding the organization.
Eligibility and process
The prize welcomes working teachers who educate children in compulsory schooling or ages five to 18. Educators of 4+ year-olds under government-recognized Early Years curricula are also eligible, including part-time teachers and those delivering online courses. Applicants must teach at least 10 hours per week and intend to remain in the profession for at least the next five years. Open to teachers from all school types and, subject to local laws, from every country.
Together with the Global Teacher Prize, the Global Schools Prize and the Global Student Prize—also founded by Sunny Varkey—form a powerful trio that highlights educators, learners, and schools as engines of innovation and change. Collectively, these prizes encourage a holistic conversation about delivering high-quality education and preparing children to face the future with confidence, while reimagining how learning will look for generations to come.
Selection criteria and next steps
Finalists are evaluated on teaching practices, innovative responses to local challenges, measurable learning outcomes, community impact beyond the classroom, fostering global citizenship, elevating the teaching profession, and recognition by external bodies. Interested teachers could apply at www.globalteacherprize.org before the December deadline.
The competition now narrows to the top 10 finalists, whose work will elevate respect for the teaching profession further. The winner will be selected from these 10 by the Global Teacher Prize Academy, comprising notable figures, and will be announced at the World Governments Summit in Dubai from February 3–5, 2026.
Join the conversation online by following @TeacherPrize.
