THE AWARDS

I’ve spent much of my life making things and occasionally entering competitions.

So I thought I’d turn that around.

I’m giving out the awards now.

These awards are offered through my art practice to recognise people, communities — and potentially entire planets — that make bold, measurable progress towards a more peaceful, just and compassionate world.

Some are playful. Some are deliberately ridiculous in scale. But the principles behind them are serious.

An award cannot be won through good intentions alone.

Results matter.

I’m interested in ideas that reduce suffering, bring people together, rehabilitate rather than simply exclude, protect minorities, strengthen communities and demonstrate that apparently impossible change might actually be possible.

THE CIRCLE AWARDS

For people and communities helping establish and support Circles while protecting their essential principles: open participation, genuine inclusivity, no hierarchy and no ownership of the idea.

Small acts count.

Helping one Circle flourish in one neighbourhood may ultimately matter far more than making a grand speech about changing the world.

THE GLOBAL PEACE & JUSTICE AWARD

For an individual, organisation, community or country that can demonstrate an exceptional contribution towards peace, justice, reconciliation or human dignity.

The important word is demonstrate.

The award is not for whoever talks most convincingly about peace. It is for people who can show that something actually became better.

SHUG’S PLANETARY AWARD

This is the big one.

Awarded to an inhabited planet that achieves bold, measurable progress towards global peace and justice — while establishing a credible roadmap for achieving considerably more.

Earth is currently eligible.

Among the things I would like to see are meaningful international cooperation, substantial progress on nuclear disarmament, falling levels of violence and persecution, stronger protection for vulnerable people, and evidence that humanity is learning to solve its disagreements without destroying itself.

I would very much like to award this to Planet Earth within the next ten years.

Whether Earth manages to qualify is entirely up to Earth.

THE INTERPLANETARY AWARD

There is, theoretically, an even higher honour.

This is reserved for a civilisation that has successfully helped another inhabited planet improve the trajectory of its society — peacefully, ethically and with measurable results.

Simply arriving in an enormous spaceship and announcing that you know best will not qualify.

A NOTE ON JUDGING

These are artworks as much as awards, and they are intended to evolve.

Criteria should be demanding, transparent and based wherever possible on measurable outcomes. I reserve the right to seek advice from people considerably better qualified than me before handing out anything important.

And, naturally, I cannot confirm or deny for legal reasons whether any civilisation elsewhere in the universe has already received one of Shug’s awards.

Applications from Earth remain very welcome.

— Shug, 2026