About Dr. Vivek H. Murthy

19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States

A renowned physician, public health expert, research scientist, entrepreneur and author, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States. As Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he commanded a uniformed service of 6,000 public health officers.

During his tenure as Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy advanced tobacco control by issuing two landmark, first-of-their-kind reports. In 2016, he issued the Surgeon General’s Report on E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults, which identified e-cigarette use among young people as a major public health concern and called for comprehensive action to address this growing problem. In 2024, he issued another groundbreaking Surgeon General’s report – Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disease and Death: Addressing Disparities – that highlighted disparities in tobacco use and health impacts across racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and other populations and detailed actions needed to eliminate these disparities and advance health equity in the U.S.

As Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy also championed evidence-based tobacco control policies, including supporting a smoke-free public housing rule that protected over two million Americans from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Dr. Murthy’s work has widened the lens through which we understand forces that shape our health and well-being. During his two terms as Surgeon General, his initiatives shaped national and international conversations, garnered global media coverage, and compelled change across business and non-profit organizations. In addition to tobacco, he has drawn attention to critical, underappreciated health issues including the epidemic of loneliness, the impact of social media on youth mental health, parental mental health and well-being, the youth mental health crisis, and health worker burnout.

We are thrilled to present our 2026 Champion Award to Dr. Vivek Murthy for his visionary leadership and lasting contributions to advancing tobacco control and public health.

The Champion Award recognizes leaders who have made a significant contribution to reducing tobacco use and to improving health and saving lives in the United States and around the world.

About Breanna Cutright

Breanna Cutright began her advocacy journey in middle school, driven by growing alarm about widespread e-cigarette use among her peers. Her advocacy was also deeply personal as she encouraged and supported her grandfather as he quit smoking, shaping her belief in the power of individual voices.

As an ambassador for Raze, West Virginia’s youth-led tobacco prevention program, Breanna educated peers about the risks of vaping and other tobacco use and supported prevention efforts across West Virginia – challenging work in a state with high rates of tobacco use. Breanna also served as a National Youth Ambassador for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, honing her leadership, media and policy advocacy skills.

When federal funding cuts led to the closure of Raze in 2025, Breanna helped lead West Virginia youth advocates in rising to the challenge. She was featured in national and state media coverage about the devastating impact of the cuts and authored an op-ed in West Virginia’s largest newspaper.

At the federal level, Breanna spoke at a congressional briefing and met with U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, chair of the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds health programs, to advocate for funding.

At the state level, Breanna played a leading role in advocating for tobacco prevention funding. She met with state lawmakers, trained fellow youth advocates, helped lead a statewide youth rally, and was widely quoted by the media. These efforts contributed to the enactment of state legislation that allocated $2.9 million of West Virginia’s Juul settlement funds to tobacco prevention programs.

Now a high school senior, Breanna is committed to supporting the next generation of youth advocates and ensuring young people have the information and resources to lead healthy lives.

The Barrie Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year Award is presented to one exceptional youth advocate in the U.S. who has worked to reduce tobacco use in their state and community. The award pays tribute to the extraordinary life and work of the late Barrie Fiske, a tireless tobacco control champion and longtime member of our Board who used her strong voice to fight for change.

About Alejandra Leal

Alejandra Leal is a leading advocate for sustainable mobility and road safety in Mexico and co-director of Céntrico, an organization with more than 10 years of experience advancing evidence-based policies. An economist and public policy specialist, Ms. Leal has dedicated her career to promoting mobility as a public health and social justice issue. In a country where more than 16,000 Mexicans die every year from road crashes, she works tirelessly to bring that number down to zero.

Working with civil society organizations, government institutions and international partners, Ms. Leal has helped advance transformative road safety policies in Mexico. She played a key role in coordinating civil society efforts that led to the recognition of the constitutional right to mobility in Mexico in 2020 and the passage of the General Law on Mobility and Road Safety in 2022. These landmark reforms established national standards to address major road safety risk factors such as speed management, drink-driving, child restraint systems and motorcycle helmet use – measures proven to save lives.

Through her role coordinating the Safe Mobility Coalition, a network of 117 civil society organizations, Ms. Leal helped develop the technical proposals and advocacy strategies that made these reforms possible. She continues to support efforts to align mobility and road safety legislation across Mexico’s 32 states, helping position the country as a regional leader.

Ms. Leal’s work is driven by a deep commitment to social justice and equal access to opportunity via mobility, incorporating a gender perspective. She believes that safe mobility is social justice in motion and works to advance governance frameworks that protect life and expand opportunity for all.

Our Global Health Advocacy Incubator supports civil society organizations and advocates working to address critical public health challenges across the globe. The Global Health Advocacy Changemaker Award honors a public health leader from a low- or middle-income country who is advancing public health policies that save lives, reduce disease and prevent injuries.

About Judy Cortes Delos Reyes

Judy Cortes Delos Reyes is a passionate tobacco control advocate in the Philippines who has mobilized young people to take action to address youth e-cigarette use. Known for his approachable leadership style, Judy has built a strong network of youth and parent advocates committed to advancing public health.

Judy’s tobacco control journey took shape through his work with HealthJustice, where he contributed to public engagement and policy initiatives. He developed a strong understanding of how policy, education and community engagement can drive meaningful change in protecting young people from the harms of tobacco use and nicotine addiction.

Judy now serves as project leader for Parents Against Vape, where he empowers parents and young people to become effective advocates. He also helped establish Youth Against Vape, a movement that activates young people in their communities.

Judy’s work in tobacco control and public health is diverse. He supported passage of smoke-free legislation that covers both cigarettes and e-cigarettes, while elevating youth voices into the national spotlight. He has addressed the Philippines Senate to share firsthand stories from communities and young people about the impact of e-cigarette use and to call for stronger protections for youth.

Judy’s impact extends beyond the Philippines. As a three-time participant in the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids’ Global Young Ambassadors Summit, he collaborated with peers from around the world to cofound Global Youth for Tobacco Control (Y4TC), a global network uniting young advocates across regions.

From supporting policy wins to speaking before national leaders, Judy brings the voices of young people to decision-makers at every level. He is inspiring the next generation of advocates and helping create a healthier, tobacco-free future – both in the Philippines and around the world.

The Global Young Ambassador of the Year Award honors a young adult from our Global Young Ambassador Network who has demonstrated excellence in tobacco prevention in areas such as policy change, peer mobilization and media advocacy.

About FIRE Squad: Jeremiah Morgan, Synaya Thompson and PJ Hubbard

The Fearless Individuals Reaching Excellence Youth Coalition – FIRE Squad – is a dedicated group of youth advocates working to reduce tobacco use and its devastating consequences in their rural South Carolina communities. Having witnessed the impact of tobacco use and nicotine addiction on their schools and families, they are driven to create change.

Alarmed by widespread use of e-cigarettes in their schools and an influx of tobacco and vape shops, FIRE Squad members educated their communities about the problem and advocated for local policymakers to act. Their efforts led the Orangeburg City Council to pass an ordinance restricting tobacco retailers near schools, childcare centers, recreation facilities and other youth-focused spaces.

FIRE Squad members spoke before the council and presented community survey data they collected showing that easy access to tobacco products is a key risk factor for youth use. Their efforts also generated media coverage about the problem and their solutions.

FIRE Squad has also hosted school and community events to educate young people and parents about the dangers of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products. They partnered with other organizations to host the first-ever statewide, youth-led conference on vaping, called Escape the Haze, which brought together 142 students from across South Carolina.

We honor FIRE Squad for their leadership, persistence and creativity as they work to improve the health of their communities and free South Carolina youth from the grip of tobacco and nicotine addiction.

The Group Youth Advocates of the Year Award recognizes a leading U.S.-based youth coalition working to protect their peers and community from tobacco. This group demonstrates the collective power of youth working together to drive meaningful change.

About Diego Rodríguez Sendoya

Diego Rodríguez Sendoya is a leading sociologist and public health advocate who has been instrumental in safeguarding Uruguay’s progress in tobacco control during a period of significant political change and industry interference.

His work has united civil society and academic leaders to counter the efforts of powerful tobacco companies, which have sought to undermine Uruguay’s world-class tobacco control policies and aggressively introduce new tobacco products. These efforts have succeeded in stopping the industry from weakening Uruguay’s plain packaging policy and regulations for emerging tobacco products.

Mr. Rodríguez’s work in tobacco control began nearly a decade ago through academic research on the impact of public health policies in Uruguay and evolved into high-impact national advocacy. He serves as president of the Multidisciplinary Organization for Social Integration (OMIS). He is an active member of the Uruguayan Society of Tobaccology and coordinator of the National Noncommunicable Diseases Alliance.

His leadership is grounded in a deep commitment to equity and social justice, shaped by his personal journey as one of the first in his family to attend university. He firmly believes that sustainable tobacco control depends on meaningful civil society participation, an approach that guides his tireless efforts to ensure that public health policies serve all communities.

Mr. Rodríguez is also a respected voice on other public health issues, including noncommunicable diseases, commercial determinants of health and food policy. A university lecturer, he is actively engaged in mentoring new generations of professionals and advocates.

The Judy Wilkenfeld Award for International Tobacco Control Excellence recognizes an advocate from a low- or middle-income country who has worked to significantly reduce tobacco use through policy advocacy. It is given in honor of the late Judy Wilkenfeld, an inspiring advocate and early leader of our international work whose expertise and devotion forever changed the world of tobacco control.