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Defenders of the Land, Defenders of the Sea, Defenders of the Wild and Defenders of Humanity

Pretoria, South Africa – Monday, 09 June 2025: The deadline for entries to the inaugural Defender Awards is just days away, with the entry portal set to close on 16 June.

Non-profit charities and organisations intending to enter the new awards are advised to complete their submissions ahead of the closing date. The international initiative will champion and support local conservation and humanitarian heroes from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan and South Africa.

Seven winning entrants will each receive a £100,000 bursary, a tough and capable Defender vehicle** to help support vital, front-line work in hard-to-reach locations, and mentoring support from a community of experts.

Entries are being accepted from programmes working in one of four categories:

  1. Defenders of the Wild – protecting endangered and at-risk species
  2. Defenders of Humanity – supporting vulnerable communities
  3. Defenders of the Land – protecting and restoring the most precious and fragile places on earth
  4. Defenders of the Sea – protecting marine species and environments

Defender is a brand with purpose at its heart and has been a lifeline to the communities in which it operates since the first vehicles were deployed with Red Cross nurses in Kenya and Dubai in 1954. More recently its 20-year partnership with Tusk, to protect endangered species and biodiversity in Africa, is further evidence of its support for the heroes who embrace the impossible every day.

Mark Cameron, Managing Director, Defender, said: “We’ve launched Defender Awards to recognise and support conservation and humanitarian heroes. Our new programme represents an investment of more than £1m and will assemble an international network of experts to share knowledge and help advance change. It is international in scale but has a local focus and I urge potential entrants to make sure they’ve submitted their entry ahead of 16 June, so they can be considered for the financial support and mentorship being made available to the winners.”

Details of how to enter are available on the Defender website: www.landrover.co.za/defender/defender-awards/index.html and the closing date for submissions is 16 June 2025.

National judges will select two entries in each of the four awards categories, to create a 56-strong international shortlist, before a judging panel of globally renowned conservation and humanitarian experts selects the seven overall winners.

Enter Defender Awards here: www.landrover.co.za/defender/defender-awards/index.html

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