Photograph by Eric Michael Roy ©

Liberatum will present Sharon Stone with its Women in Creativity Award this year at the Thyssen Museum in Madrid. For a quarter of a century, Liberatum has stood as one of the world’s most respected champions of cultural diplomacy, creativity, and global dialogue. Honouring Ms Stone, an artist whose work resonates globally will be a defining moment of these celebrations. 

At the Thyssen, Liberatum will honour Ms Stone with the Liberatum Women in Creativity Award, celebrating her remarkable multidisciplinary career, her enduring commitment to creativity as a force for positive global impact, and her emergence as a painter distinguished by a bold, original voice and profoundly resonant storytelling.

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Sharon Stone is recognized internationally as a cultural leader. Her many honors include:

Global Citizen of the Year award by the United Nations Correspondents Association; the Women Making History Award from the National Women’s History Museum; the Nobel Peace Summit Award Laureate; the Einstein Spirit of Achievement Award; the Golden Globe Award; a Primetime Emmy Award; an Academy Award Nomination; the Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France; the 2023 Courage Award; the Harvard Humanitarian Award; and the Human Rights Campaign Humanitarian Award are among her many accolades. Stone is the New York Times bestselling author of the book The Beauty of Living Twice.

She was recently honored as a finalist for the 2025 Women in Art Prize. Painting has been part of Stone’s life since she was a child. Her Aunt Vonne had a Master’s degree in painting, and would create murals across the walls of the home of Stone’s grandmother. Her Aunt Vonne’s artist studio was in this home, and the painter nurtured Stone’s talents for painting from an early age by training her to be her studio assistant. In college, Stone studied painting and sold many of her artworks, before she went on to become a fashion model and an actress.

Her work is largely abstract and expressionistic, often drawing on nature, movement, and emotional transformation — motifs like snakes, coiled forms, and layered landscapes appear, reflecting profound themes of shedding, loss, and rebirth. Her new series of portraits is a bold departure for the artist, featuring supernatural subjects throughout time with timely messages for our world. These new works created by Stone are powerful, haunting portraits of the spirits of people from different eras that she recently channeled while painting.

Stone says painting offers her a sense of freedom and healing that complements her acting, but also stands on its own: she now spends up to 17 hours a day in her studio, and her art has drawn praise for its raw emotion and technical ambition. Her immense talents and acute powers of observation have translated through her paintings. The ability to observe and interpret human behavior, and the capacity to turn human frailties into sources of strength, shine through in ways that are combative, conquering, and victorious. The connection to nature is always visually present.

Liberatum will present Marina Abramović with its Pioneer Award this year at the Thyssen Museum in Madrid. For a quarter of a century, Liberatum has stood as one of the world’s most respected champions of cultural diplomacy, creativity, and global dialogue. Honouring Ms Abramović, an artist whose work resonates globally will be a defining moment of these celebrations. 

At the Thyssen, Liberatum will honour Ms Abramović with the Pioneer Award, recognising her extraordinary ability to use the body and the power of the mind to transform how humanity experiences art, and for pioneering performance art as a profound, consciousness-raising art form.

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Since the beginning of her career in Belgrade during the early 1970s, Marina Abramović has pioneered performance as a visual art form. She created some of the most important early works in this practice, including Rhythm 0 (1974), in which she offered herself as an object of experimentation for the audience, as well as Rhythm 5 (1974), where she lay in the centre of a burning five-point star to the point of losing consciousness. These performances married concept with physicality, endurance with empathy, complicity with loss of control, passivity with danger. They pushed the boundaries of self- discovery, both of herself and her audience. They also marked her first engagements with time, stillness, energy, pain, and the resulting heightened consciousness generated by long durational performance.

In 2012, she founded the Marina Abramović Institute (MAI), a non-profit foundation for performance art, that focuses on performance, long durational works, and the use of the ‘Abramović Method’. MAI is a platform for immaterial and long durational work to create new possibilities for collaboration among thinkers of all fields.

Abramović was one of the first performance artists to become formally accepted by the institutional museum world with major solo shows taking place throughout Europe and the US over a period of more than 25 years. In 2010, Abramovic had her first major U.S. retrospective and simultaneously performed for over 700 hours in “The Artist is Present” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Her first European retrospective ‘The Cleaner’ was presented at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden in 2017, followed by presentations at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in C/openhagen, Denmark, Henie Onstad, Sanvika, Norway (2017), Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn, Germany (2018), Centre of Contemporary Art, Torun (2019), and concluding at the Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade, Serbia (2019). In 2023, Abramović was the first female artist to host a major solo exhibition in the Main Galleries of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. This show will tour throughout Europe and Asia through 2026.  In 2024, Marina opened her first solo exhibition in China, Transforming Energy, at the Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai. 

In 1997, Abramovic was awarded the Golden Lion Award for Best Artist for her performance Balkan Baroque at the Venice Biennale. In 2006, Abramovic received the U.S. Art Critics Association Award for Best Exhibition of Time Based Art for her performance Seven Easy Pieces at the Guggenheim in New York City. In 2008, Abramovic received the Austrian Decoration of Honor for Science and Art in Vienna. In 2011, she was awarded Honorary Royal Academician status by The Royal Academy in London. In 2013, Abramovic was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Officer for her work in Bolero, Paris and in 2022, she was promoted to Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Commander. In 2014, Abramovic was named one of The 100 Most Influential People by TIME Magazine. In 2021, Abramovic was awarded the Princess de Asturias Award for the Arts, in Spain and the Golden Medal for Merits from the Republic of Serbia. In 2023 she was awarded the Sonning Prize from the University of Copenhagen, and officially received the award in 2024. In 2024, she was awarded an honorary degree from the Albertina Academy in Turin and the Luxembourg Peace Prize from the World Peace Forum. In 2025 she was awarded the Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture by the Japan Art Association (2025). 

In July 2026, Liberatum will honour one of the defining storytellers of our era – a visionary whose life’s work has been devoted to defending freedom of expression and elevating the power of imagination.

Formal announcement to be made in May 2026.

LIBERATUM 25 – A QUARTER CENTURY OF DEFIANCE, LIBERTY AND CULTURAL CONSCIOUNESS.

A SPECIAL SUMMIT AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY AWARDS CEREMONY.

MADRID, SPAIN – OCTOBER 2026.

The official announcement will be made in due course.

Liberatum Honours Chief Raoni in London: A Historic Cultural Tribute to the Amazon’s Guardian

International cultural diplomacy organisation Liberatum honoured legendary Indigenous leader Chief Raoni Metuktire with the 13th Liberatum Cultural Honour at a landmark gala held at CÉ LA VI London.

The emotional and powerful tribute brought together global leaders from the arts, activism, politics, and philanthropy to celebrate the 93-year-old Kayapó chief’s lifelong fight to protect the Amazon and Indigenous rights. The evening was co-hosted by a distinguished line-up including Benedict Cumberbatch, Anitta, Bianca Jagger, Baroness Young of Hornsey, British Vogue’s Chioma Nnadi, Trudie Styler and Zac Goldsmith among others. Other notable guests included Julia Fox, Sir Anthony Gormley, Akala, and Dame Helena Kennedy KC.

Earlier that day, Chief Raoni was received at St James’s Palace for a private audience with His Majesty King Charles III, coinciding with the CBA Nature First Economy event — reaffirming his critical voice in the global environmental movement.

The Liberatum ceremony featured heartfelt tributes from co-hosts and supporters including Trudie Styler, Bianca Jagger, and Anitta, alongside moving video tributes showcasing the fragile beauty of the Amazon.

Representing the next generation of Kayapó leadership, Beptuk Metuktire delivered an emotional speech calling for continued international solidarity.

Presenting Partner: Berkeley Travel @berkeleytravel
Ceremony Partner: CÉ LA VI London @celavi.london
Hotel Partner: Bulgari Hotel, London @bvlgarihotellondon

Photographer Oleksii Parkhomenko @parkhomaaa

THE AMAZON: THE BREATH OF OUR EARTH AND THE POWER OF INDIGENOUS CULTURE AND PEOPLE OF COLOUR

With deep reverence and boundless pride, Liberatum brought together a historic gathering on 15th October 2025 in London— a convergence of ancestral wisdom, artistic fire, and global conscience.

In an extraordinary private audience with His Majesty King Charles at St James’s Palace, Liberatum united the legendary Chief Raoni Metuktire, along with Patxon Metuktire, Beptuk Metuktire, and Yabuti Metuktire of the Amazon — guardians of the forest and sacred protectors of our planet — with Brazil’s powerhouse and global icon Anitta, young Brazilian creative leader Lucas Vilas of Salvador, Bahia and Liberatum founder Pablo Ganguli of Kolkata, and other leading cultural voices.

This moment was more than a meeting — it was a call to history.

We came together to honour Chief Raoni, whose life has been a defiant and dignified cry for the Earth — a voice that echoes through the canopies of the Amazon and into the conscience of the world. His tireless struggle for the environment and the rights of Indigenous peoples is not just activism — it is heroism in its purest form.

Across continents, across languages, across generations, Indigenous leaders and people of colour are rising — united, urgent, and unafraid. Their voices carry truth. Their stories carry power. And their demands for justice cannot — and will not — be silenced.

This is more than a celebration.
This is a movement.
This is a reckoning.
This is the power of people of colour — unstoppable, undeniable, and essential to humanity’s survival.

Photos Ian Jones

CHIEF RAONI TO RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS LIBERATUM CULTURAL HONOUR IN LONDON ON 15 OCTOBER 2025

Co-hosts Anitta,
Baroness Young of Hornsey,
Benedict Cumberbatch, Bianca Jagger, Chioma Nnadi, Johan Eliasch,
Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park,
Martin Scorsese, Paris Jackson,
Pierce Brosnan, Rossy de Palma,
Sharon Stone and Trudie Styler
announced for Liberatum Ceremony

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A Historic Tribute to the 93-Year-Old Kayapó Leader and Global Symbol of Amazon Protection

Liberatum, the global cultural diplomacy organisation, is delighted to announce that 93-year-old Chief Raoni Metuktire, the revered indigenous leader of Brazil’s Kayapó people, will travel to the UK to be awarded the thirteenth Liberatum Cultural Honour during a momentous ceremony in London on 15 October 2025.

One of the world’s most revered Indigenous voices, Chief Raoni has spent more than five decades fighting to protect the Amazon rainforest and the rights of its peoples.

His recognition at the Liberatum event in London comes at a pivotal moment for the planet—just two weeks before COP30 in Brazil, at the very heart of the Amazon, where Chief Raoni will play a vital role.

“My mission has always been to protect the forest and defend my people. Since I was young, I have traveled the world carrying this message, and now, at 93 years old, I remain firmly on this path. This trip to London is part of that mission. I receive this honour with gratitude, but also with urgency. The Amazon is under threat, and my people need support to continue caring for our land. We are launching the Cacique Raoni Legacy Fund to ensure that this fight continues — even when I am no longer here. I invite all of you to join us. The time is now. Without the forest, there is no future.” — Cacique Raoni Metuktire

A member of the Mebêngôkre people of Brazil, better known as the Kayapó, Chief Raoni rose to international prominence in the late 1980s alongside musician and activist Sting.

Since then, he has remained one of the world’s most respected voices in the movement to halt deforestation and champion Indigenous rights, meeting with heads of state and addressing the United Nations.

Chief Raoni will travel from Brazil to be honoured at the Liberatum Gala in Central London and will give a short address to the guests and media in attendance. He will travel with members of his immediate family including his grandson Beptuk Metuktire.

The ceremony is supported by presenting partner Berkeley Travel. The venue for Liberatum’s Gala is CÉ LA VI – atop the brand-new architectural creation from the imagination of Renzo Piano, a visionary who places sustainability as a guiding principle within his practice.

The milestone celebration features tributes by leading international figures from the arts, activism, and diplomacy. The Liberatum Cultural Honour co-hosts include the multiple Grammy nominated Brazilian musician Anitta, Baroness Young of Hornsey, Academy Award nominated and BAFTA Award winning actor Benedict Cumberbatch, activist Bianca Jagger, Head of Editorial Content for British Vogue Chioma Nnadi, philanthropist Johan Eliasch, Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park, Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese, musician and actress Paris Jackson, actor Pierce Brosnan, Spanish actress and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Cultural Diversity Rossy de Palma, Golden Globe winning actor and artist Sharon Stone and award-winning filmmaker Trudie Styler.

Anitta comments, “As a Brazilian, it is an honour for me to be part of such an important and unique moment for Chief Raoni. It is essential that more countries and global leaders align themselves with the preservation of the environment and the Indigenous peoples who are the true guardians of the forest. Recognizing Chief Raoni’s leadership is, in itself, a commitment to that cause.”

The mission of Liberatum is to present audiences worldwide with remarkable programmes of the highest calibre featuring leading mavericks, game-changers and cultural leaders as participants to promote social change, freedom of expression and raise consciousness about important issues affecting humanity. Liberatum’s goal is to serve as a catalyst for cultural exchange and social progress, leveraging the power of creativity to build a more inclusive and understanding world.

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Executive Director: Lisa Baker || Creative Producer: Lucas Vilas || Head of Events and Production: Halime Özdemir di Larusso || PR and Talent Director: Marilyn Lopez

Master of Ceremonies: Ceren Cerciler

Supported by Presenting Partner

Berkeley Travel

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Ceremony Partner

CÉ LA VI London

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Hotel Partner

Bvlgari Hotel London

Liberatum Announces 13th Cultural Honour Ceremony and Gala Honouring Legendary Chief Raoni

Wednesday, 15th October 2025
London, England

Liberatum, the pioneering global cultural diplomacy organization dedicated to celebrating and advancing humanity’s creative, social, and ecological achievements, proudly announces the 13th Liberatum Cultural Honour ceremony and gala. It will be held in London, United Kingdom on 15th October 2025.

This year’s prestigious honour will be bestowed upon Chief Raoni Metuktire, the world-renowned Indigenous leader of the Kayapó people and an emblematic defender of the Amazon rainforest and Indigenous rights. Chief Raoni’s recognition by Liberatum comes at a decisive moment for the planet, just two weeks before the United Nations COP30 conference in Brazil, centred in the Amazon where Chief Raoni will play a vital role. 

The historic gala will be co-hosted by an extraordinary assembly of cultural and humanitarian icons. Their collective presence underscores the urgency of safeguarding our planet and amplifying the wisdom and leadership of Indigenous communities in the fight against ecological and cultural devastation.

For over half a century, Chief Raoni has been a tireless advocate for Indigenous sovereignty, the preservation of the Amazon, and the recognition of the interconnectedness of humanity and nature. His lifelong commitment has made him one of the most respected global voices for environmental justice and cultural resilience.

The Liberatum Cultural Honour has, since its inception, recognized extraordinary figures whose contributions transcend disciplines and inspire humanity to reach higher levels of awareness, artistry, and responsibility. Past honorees include visionaries, creators, and change-makers who embody the transformative power of culture in shaping a more humane and sustainable world.

This year’s ceremony promises to be one of the most significant in Liberatum’s history, convening global leaders in art, cinema, music, and activism alongside Indigenous voices and environmental advocates. Together, they will pay tribute to Chief Raoni’s unparalleled legacy while amplifying the urgency of ecological stewardship in the face of climate crisis.

At 93, Chief Raoni is in the twilight of his life. As a living symbol of the fight for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest and indigenous culture, and a great hero of our time, his presence in London to receive the Liberatum Cultural Honour Award will be a globally resonant and momentous occasion.

About Liberatum

Liberatum is a global cultural diplomacy organization creating unique platforms that bridge art, sustainability, and human rights. Through festivals, honours, and cross-disciplinary gatherings, Liberatum celebrates innovation, creative excellence, and the social impact of culture in shaping a better world.

Over the last two decades, Liberatum has held significant ceremonies to honour some of the world’s preeminent cultural voices such as the Academy Award winning filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, one of the greatest writers of the 20th and 21st centuries, Nobel Laureate Sir VS Naipaul, actor Sir John Hurt, architect Dame Zaha Hadid, author Gore Vidal, filmmaker Terry Gilliam, singer Marianne Faithfull, designer Sir Terence Conran, artist Sir Peter Blake, singer Alcione, photographer Steve McCurry and the Academy Award winning actress Susan Sarandon.

The Liberatum Cultural Honour will be held in London, United Kingdom in 2025.

The Liberatum Cultural Honour is bestowed upon remarkable individuals who strive to contribute immensely to humanity through excellence in the arts.

A magnificent and memorable cultural ceremony. A special gala is held to honour and celebrate a great mind and their contribution to world culture. This momentous Liberatum symposium brings together some of the world’s most important entertainment personalities, icons, creative visionaries, pioneers and eminent cultural powerhouses for an extraordinary celebration of the honouree’s contribution to the global creative landscape.

They pay tribute to the honouree’s achievements, artistic career and humanitarian endeavours. A world class event with participants of the highest calibre. Held in a stunning venue, this Liberatum prestigious ceremony pays homage to the honouree and celebrates their life’s work.

This year, the ceremony will be hosted in London in late 2025.

The Honourees since 2010

Dame Zaha Hadid
Iraq

Gore Vidal
USA

Alcione D Nazareth
Brazil

Francis Ford Coppola
USA

Sir John Hurt
UK

Susan Sarandon
USA

Sir VS Naipaul
Trinidad and Tobago

Marianne Faithfull
UK

Steve McCurry
USA

Sir Peter Blake
UK

Sir Terence Conran
UK

Terry Gilliam
UK

Liberatum, the international cultural diplomacy organisation has a long tradition of championing excellence in the creative industries and supporting new work by artists globally. It was a great pleasure for the organisation, in partnership with Palazzina Grassi, to present the world premiere of Brady Corbet’s directorial effort ‘The Brutalist’ at the Venice Film Festival in September 2024.

Liberatum is delighed that the film has won major prestigious awards this year including the Academy Awards/Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards.