JAMAICA’S Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals and Beaches resorts and the ATL Group, has been named among an impressive list of individuals recognised by Town and Country (T&C) Magazine as Philanthropists of the Year.

The awards were presented at the 180-year-old magazine’s 13th annual Philanthropy Summit held at Hearst Tower in New York City on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

Introducing the awardees, T&C said they were chosen for philanthropic gestures ranging “from nine-figure donations to small acts of kindness”.

“A transformational gift is always a welcome one, but what does that mean, exactly? That’s the question at the heart of this year’s philanthropy issue. How does an act of generosity, or service, change the world, or someone’s life, or even someone’s day?” stated T&C, the oldest continuously published general-interest magazine in the United States which has a digital audience of 5.8 million to 11.3 million unique monthly visitors.

Stewart was recognised for Sandals Foundation’s funding of projects that touch on hurricane relief, conservation, education, animal welfare, and health care in the islands where Sandals Resorts operate.

BEYONCÉ…gave US$2 million to the Studio Museum of Harlem to celebrate her 45th birthday (Photo: AFP)

The magazine noted that this year the American Friends of Jamaica Foundation honoured Stewart, who is president of Sandals Foundation, for his work.

Reacting to the T&C award, Stewart said: “I am deeply honoured to be recognised among Town & Country Magazine’s philanthropists of the year alongside the remarkable list of honorees.

“This recognition is particularly meaningful because at Sandals and Beaches Resorts and across the ATL Group we know that success is measured not just by what we achieve, but by the difference we make in the lives of others in the islands we call home. Our actions speak louder than words when we make decisions that impact our countries and our communities.”

Added Stewart, who is also executive chairman of the Jamaica Observer, “Our 20,000 team members across the Caribbean region are the heart of our organisation who show up every day creating magical moments for our customers. So, when the region needs us it’s our duty to respond. And in times of need we, and the Sandals Foundation, do extraordinary things because they are the right things to do.

SHAKIRA…helped pledge US$1.25 million to assist the rebuilding of schools following the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia in August this year (Photo: AFP)

“I share this recognition with our entire organisation in celebration of a commitment to making a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of the people who call these beautiful Caribbean islands home.”

Founded in 2009 by Stewart as the non-profit arm of Sandals Resorts International, the foundation has impacted more than 1.5 million people across the Caribbean. Because Sandals Resorts covers all administrative costs, 100 per cent of public donations to the foundation go directly to community, education, and environmental projects.

The list of philanthropists recognised by T&C also include:

* Colombian singer, songwriter, and dancer Shakira who helped pledge US$1.25 million to assist the rebuilding of schools following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia in August this year.

WOODRUFF…after being seriously wounded in Iraq 20 years ago, founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation which has funded US$228 million in health care, housing, and employment services for veterans (Photo: AFP)

* American flim-maker George Lucas and his wife Mellody Hobson, who pumped US$1 billion into building the new Lucas Museum for Narrative Art in Los Angeles.

* American artiste Beyoncé, who gave US$2 million to the Studio Museum of Harlem to celebrate her 45th birthday.

* Gail Gallie’s the Nat, which focuses on the natural world, funding restoration and education projects.

* The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, which is the force behind the international craft showcase Homo Faber.

GOODE…wildlife conservationist who goes beyond merely featuring endangered animals on television (Photo: AFP)

* Seattle’s Jon and Kim Shirley, who spent upwards of US$10 million restoring Alexander Calder’s Mountains and Clouds sculpture, which is on public display in the Hart Senate Office Building.

* The Tang family, the Lauder family, and Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield, who all made transformative gifts to New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, securing its future.

* Architect Moshe Safdie, who “is bringing his flair for socially responsible design to restoring Brooklyn’s Pacific Library, the borough’s first Carnegie library”.

* Olivia Walton, who as chair of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, has helped make Bentonville, Arkansas, a cultural destination.

* American film-maker Eric Goode, a wildlife conservationist who goes beyond merely featuring endangered animals on television.

*ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff who, after being seriously wounded in Iraq 20 years ago, founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation which has, under the leadership of CEO Anne Marie Dougherty, funded US$228 million in health care, housing, and employment services for veterans.

On announcing the awards, T&C invited its readers to join it “in celebrating and studying those who have most impactfully funded new programmes and new museum wings, as well as others who saw a fellow citizen’s need and tried to fix it, or those who, through simple acts of kindness, offered us a reminder of the good in the world that remains, despite it all”.