Global Wellness Awards

Global Wellness Awards

Each year, the Global Wellness Summit honors outstanding leaders of the industry with the prestigious Global Wellness Awards.

Read More About the Awards

2025 Award Recipients

Read the full 2025 Global Wellness Awards press release

2024 Award Recipients

Read the full 2024 Global Wellness Awards press release

2023 Award Recipients

2022 Award Recipients

2021 Award Recipients

Read the full 2021 Global Wellness Awards press release

2020 Award Recipients

Read the full 2020 Global Wellness Awards press release

2019 Award Recipients

Read more about the 2019 recipients here.

Leader in Innovation		Leader in Sustainability		Leader in Social Impact		Leading Woman in Wellness		Debra Simon Award Leader in Furthering Mental Wellness
Ronna Chao Chair, Novetex Textiles, Hong Kong		Bill Bensley Owner, Bensley Architecture, Interior Design and Landscape, Thailand		John Wood Founder, Room to Read, Hong Kong		Mia Kyricos SVP & Global Head of Wellbeing, Hyatt, United States		Professor Gerry Bodeker, PhD Chair of the GWI Mental Wellness Initiative and Public Health Academic & Clinical Psychologist, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, UK & Malaysia

2018 Award Recipients

Read more about the 2018 recipients here.

2017 Award Recipients

Read more about the 2017 recipients here.

2016 Award Recipients

Read more about the 2016 recipients here.

Leader in Innovation		Leader in Sustainability		Leading Woman in Wellness		Leader in Workplace Wellness		Debra Simon Award for Leader in Furthering Mental Wellness
Richard Schmitz CEO, H/S/M Hotel and Spa Management, Germany		Balthasar Hauser Owner, Biohotel Stanglwirt, Austria		Belgin Aksoy Founder, Global Wellness Day, Turkey		Dr. Fikry Isaac Founder & CEO, WellWorld Consulting LLC, United States		Jeremy McCarthy Group Director of Spa & Wellness, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Hong Kong

2015 Award Recipients

Read more about the 2015 recipients here.

Leader in Innovation		Leader in Sustainability		Leading Woman in Wellness		Leader in Workplace Wellness		Building a Well World Award
Enid and Mel Zuckerman Co-Founders, Canyon Ranch, United States		Green Spa Network United States		Geraldine Howard Co-Founder, Aromatherapy Associates, United Kingdom		Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, School of Medicine, United States		The Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg, United States

2014 Award Recipients

Leader in Innovation		Leader in Sustainability		Leading Woman in Wellness
Donald B. Ardell, PhD & Dr. John W. Travis, United States		Sarah Livia Brightwood President, Rancho La Puerta, Mexico		Magatte Wade Founder, TIOSSAN,United States

More About the Awards

The Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness
The Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness is an annual award designed to recognize experts doing collaborative research that merges science and wellness for the advancement of human health and wellbeing globally. It is a joint initiative between wellness advocate and Bennett Family Foundation President, Bija Bennett, and the Global Wellness Summit, an annual international symposium for leaders shaping the wellness industry’s future.

Leader in Innovation
The $3.7 trillion wellness sector is one of the largest, most thriving, and creative markets in the world. This award is presented to a true global innovator from any wellness sector – whether travel, spa, fitness, nutrition, beauty, workplace wellness, integrative medicine and preventative health, etc.

Leader in Sustainability
Human wellness is, of course, crucially linked to the health of the planet and environment. This award honors a leader or innovator in, or advocate for, sustainability in all its diverse forms.

Leading Woman in Wellness
Women have an extraordinarily powerful place in the global wellness industry. This award honors a woman who’s making a standout contribution in any of the wellness sectors – whether as an entrepreneur or as a health and wellness champion, etc.

Leader in Workplace Wellness
Worldwide, the cost of unwell workers (in healthcare costs, lost productivity, etc.) represents a staggering 10-15 percent of global economic output, which is why the workplace wellness movement has grown to a $43 billion market. This award recognizes a leader in the field of workplace wellness and health promotion – whether it is a standout company, those that delivers successful programs and strategies or a researcher and doctor in the workplace well-being arena.

Debra Simon Award for Leader in Furthering Mental Wellness
With a global depression, stress and anxiety epidemic, this award honors an individual who has achieved excellence in the field of mental health and wellness, and has been a leader, advocate or innovator in wellness programs and pathways that help people thrive mentally. It honors the legacy of Debra Simon (and is a gift from her daughter, Lauren Wright), who struggled with depression and lost her life to suicide.

Building a Well World Award
The “Building a Well World” award is given to an individual or organization that exemplifies the dedication of both time and resources necessary to impact wellness on a global scale. This award was inaugurated at the 2015 Summit in Mexico City and bestowed upon the Honorable Michael R. Bloomberg for his commitment to, and philanthropic support of public health policies worldwide – in particular for his work in Mexico. Through the Obesity Prevention Program, Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed $16.5 million toward a three-year effort to support public health policies aimed at reducing obesity in Mexico, which has one of the highest rates of overweight in the world.

Social Impact Award
This award honors a leader who has worked to make it possible for more people and societal groups to live healthier, happier lives–and whose work in the field of wellness has made a meaningful social impact. Carmona championed the science behind second-hand smoke and its health hazards, which has led to global bans on smoking in public places and continues his work to make it possible for more people and societal groups to live healthier lives.

Living a Well Life Award
The Living a Well Life Award is given to someone who embodies, with fierce devotion, wellness principles and practices throughout their life. They lead by example, and their choices regarding mind, body and spirit serve as an example to us all.

Special thanks to Bennett Awards for producing the Global Wellness Award trophies.