LONDON, England (CMC) – Four young people from the Caribbean have been named among those shortlisted for the 2025 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work.

Joshua Andall of Grenada, Kache Hanna of the Bahamas and Jamaicans Nicholas Kee and Romario Simpson join those from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Europe and Canada, whom the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat described as “extraordinary young individuals”. Those shortlisted include social entrepreneurs, climate advocates, innovators, and community health champions.

The Commonwealth Youth Awards recognises the exceptional contributions of young people to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhancing development in their communities and beyond.

This year, the adjudication process garnered an overwhelming response with more than 800 applications carefully reviewed by a panel of 54 Pan-Commonwealth adjudicators, and from an initial shortlist of 31, the 20 finalists were selected.

“Our young people have shown genuine innovation and commitment in striving to make the Commonwealth fairer, more secure, more sustainable, and more prosperous. Their projects demonstrate the great potential of 1.7 billion young people across the Commonwealth,” said
Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland KC. “We are delighted to recognise, nurture, and support them by offering platforms like the Youth Awards to showcase their potential to the world.”

The Commonwealth Secretariat said that the awards are one of the ways in which it works to empower, engage and encourage as well as amplify the voices and work of youth across the 56 member states.

This year, the Khalili Foundation and the Commonwealth Foundation have partnered to amplify the finalists’ work across continents further and help them scale up their success.

“The Commonwealth continues to celebrate young people as valuable assets to society—problem solvers addressing global challenges with creativity and courage. While we honour this year’s winners, we acknowledge over 800 applicants who, although they may not receive the
top prizes, are making a real difference in their communities,” said the Commonwealth Secretariat’s head of Social Policy Development, Layne Robinson.

The Youth Awards will be one of the key events to commemorate Commonwealth Day taking place on March 10 and will be presented in person at Marlborough House here.