Contrarian Prize
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The Contrarian Prize is a prize which has been awarded either annually or biennially since its establishment in 2013. The prize promotes the contribution of non-conformist thinking to the British public debate by recognising individuals who have demonstrated independence, courage, and sacrifice through the ideas they have introduced, or stands they have taken. Nominations for the prize are submitted through an online form by the public each year, with the shortlist and winner selected by a panel of judges. The judging panel is chaired by Ali Miraj, who founded the prize, with other judges including economist
Vicky Pryce Vasiliki "Vicky" Pryce (' Kourmouzi (); born 15 July 1952) is a Greek-born British economist and a former Joint Head of the United Kingdom's Government Economic Service. She is the Chief Economic Adviser at the Centre for Economics and Busine ...
, businessman and winner of the inaugural prize Michael Woodford, journalist Izabella Kaminska, and politician
Gawain Towler Gawain Towler is a British political strategist and journalist known for his involvement in British Eurosceptic movements. He served as the press officer for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2004 to 2017, initially in Brussels and later in ...
.


The prize: "The Three Politicians"

"The Three Politicians" was originally created in 2007 by Italian pop art sculptor, Maruro Perucchetti, and donated by him in recognition of the inaugural prize awarded in March 2013. The pigmented urethane resin sculpture illustrates the "three politicians" in the form of the
three wise monkeys The are a Japanese pictorial Maxim (philosophy), maxim, embodying the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". The three monkeys are * , covering his eyes * , covering his ears * , covering his mouth. Lafcadio Hearn re ...
– one who does not see, one who does not speak, and one who does not hear.


List of shortlisted candidates and prize winners


2013 Contrarian Prize

The shortlist for the inaugural prize was announced in February 2013, and the prize was presented by
Isabel Oakeshott Isabel Oakeshott (born 12 June 1974) is a British political journalist. Oakeshott was the political editor of ''The Sunday Times'' and is the co-author, with Michael Ashcroft, of an unauthorised biography of former British prime minister Dav ...
on 18 March 2013. * Michael Woodford – winner *
Giles Fraser Giles Anthony Fraser (born 27 November 1964)Nigel Farage Nigel Paul Farage ( ; born 3 April 1964) is a British politician and broadcaster who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton (UK Parliament constituency), Clacton and Leader of Reform UK since 20 ...
*
Heather Brooke Heather Rose Brooke (born 1970) is a British-American journalist and freedom of information campaigner. Resident since the 1990s in the UK, she helped to expose the 2009 expenses scandal, which culminated in the resignation of Speaker of the ...
*
Peter Tatchell Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is an Australian-born British human rights campaigner, best known for his work with LGBT social movements. Tatchell was selected as the Labour Party (UK), Labour Party's Parliament of the United Kingdo ...


2014 Contrarian Prize

The 2014 prize was awarded on 2 April 2014. *
Clive Stafford Smith Clive Adrian Stafford Smith (born 9 July 1959) is a British attorney who specialises in the areas of civil rights and working against capital punishment in the United States. He worked to overturn death sentences for convicts, and helped foun ...
– winner *
Benjamin Zephaniah Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah (15 April 1958 – 7 December 2023) was a British writer, dub poet, actor, musician and professor of poetry and creative writing. Over his lifetime, he was awarded 20 honorary doctorates in recognition of his c ...
*
Brian Cathcart Brian Cathcart (born 26 October 1956) is an Irish-born journalist, academic and media campaigner based in the United Kingdom. He is a founder of Hacked Off, which campaigns for a free and accountable press. His books include ''Were You Still Up f ...
*
Douglas Carswell John Douglas Wilson Carswell (born 3 May 1971) is a British former politician who served as a Member of Parliament from 2005 to 2017, co-founded Vote Leave, and since 2021 also serves as president and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public ...
* Kay Sheldon *
Peter Oborne Peter Alan Oborne (; born 11 July 1957) is a British journalist and broadcaster. He is the former chief political commentator of ''The Daily Telegraph'', from which he resigned in early 2015. He is author of ''The Rise of Political Lying'' (2005 ...
Presented by:
Will Hutton William Nicolas Hutton (born 21 May 1950) is an English journalist. As of 2022, he writes a regular column for '' The Observer'', co-chairs the Purposeful Company, and is the president-designate of the Academy of Social Sciences. He is the cha ...


2015 Contrarian Prize

The shortlist for the 2015 prize was announced in June 2015, and the prize was presented by
Jonathan Dimbleby Jonathan Dimbleby (born 31 July 1944) is a British presenter of current affairs and political radio and television programmes, author and historian. He is the son of Richard Dimbleby and younger brother of television presenter David Dimbleby. ...
on 18 June 2015. *
Simon Danczuk Simon Christopher Danczuk ( ; born 24 October 1966) is a British author and former Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) who represented the constituency of Rochdale (UK Parliament constituency), Rochdale between 2010 ...
– winner *
Craig Murray Craig John Murray (born 17 October 1958) is a Scottish author, human rights campaigner, journalist, and former diplomat. While he was the British ambassador to Uzbekistan (2002–2004), he exposed the violations of human rights in that count ...
*
Ed Husain Ed Husain (born 25 December 1974) is a British author and a professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service in Georgetown University. As a political advisor he has worked with leaders and governments across the world. Husain is a senior fello ...
*
George Galloway George Galloway (born 16 August 1954) is a British politician, broadcaster, and writer. He has been leader of the Workers Party of Britain since he founded it in 2019, and is a former leader of the Respect Party. Until 2003, he was a member ...
* Nevres Kemal


2017 Contrarian Prize

The 2017 prize was presented by
Sir Simon Jenkins Sir Simon David Jenkins FLSW (born 10 June 1943) is a British author, a newspaper columnist and editor. He was editor of the ''Evening Standard'' from 1976 to 1978 and of ''The Times'' from 1990 to 1992. Jenkins chaired the National Trust fr ...
on 16 May 2017. *
Patrick Minford Anthony Patrick Leslie Minford (born 17 May 1943) is a British macroeconomist who is professor of applied economics at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, a position he has held since 1997. He was Edward Gonner Professor of Applied Ec ...
– winner *
Gisela Stuart Gisela Stuart, Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston (''née'' Gschaider; born 26 November 1955) is a British-German politician and life peer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Edgbaston from 1997 to 2017. A former member of the La ...
*
Narindar Saroop Major Narindar Saroop (14 August 1929 – 19 December 2020) was an Indian-born British businessman. He was the eldest son of Chaudhri Ram Saroop, Ismaila, Rohtak, India and the late Shyam Devi. He was educated at the Aitchison College for P ...
*
Faith Spear Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". According to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, faith has multiple definitions, includ ...
* Nigel Farage


2019 Contrarian Prize

The shortlist for the 2019 prize was announced in June 2019, and the prize was presented by
Jeremy Paxman Jeremy Dickson Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is an English former broadcaster, journalist and author, born in Yorkshire. Born in Leeds, Paxman was educated at Malvern College and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he edited the undergraduate ...
on 25 June 2019. *
Katharine Birbalsingh Katharine Moana Birbalsingh (born 16 September 1973) is a headteacher and education reform advocate who is the founder and head teacher of Michaela Community School, a free school established in 2014 in Wembley Park, London. The daughter of ...
– winner *
Theresa May Theresa Mary May, Baroness May of Maidenhead (; ; born 1 October 1956), is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served as Home Secretar ...
* Douglas Murray *
David Goodhart David Goodhart (born 12 September 1956) is a British journalist, commentator and author. He is the founder and a former editor of '' Prospect'' magazine. Early life and education Goodhart is one of seven children born to Valerie Forbes Winant ( ...
*
Helen Pluckrose Helen Pluckrose is a British author and cultural writer known for critiques of critical theory and social justice and promotion of liberal ethics, most notably in the grievance studies affair. Education Pluckrose completed a degree in English ...


2021 Contrarian Prize

The shortlist for the 2021 prize was announced in October 20211, and the prize was presented by
Michael Crick Michael Lawrence Crick (born 21 May 1958) is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He was a founding member of the ''Channel 4 News'' team in 1982 and remained there until joining the BBC in 1990.Ian Burrell"Michael Crick: 'Cuts are hur ...
on 11 November 2021. *
Toby Young Toby Daniel Moorsom Young, Baron Young of Acton (born 17 October 1963), is a British social commentator and life peer. He is the founder and director of the Free Speech Union, an associate editor of ''The Spectator'', creator of '' The Daily S ...
– winner *
Suzanne Moore Suzanne Lynn Moore (born 17 July 1958) is an English journalist and gender-critical campaigner. Early life and education Moore is the daughter of an American father and a working-class British mother, who split up during her childhood. As a ...
* Will Knowland *
Sunetra Gupta Sunetra Gupta (born 15 March 1965) is an Indian-born British infectious disease epidemiologist and a professor of theoretical epidemiology at the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. She has performed research on the transmission dynamic ...


2024 Contrarian Prize

The shortlist for the 2024 prize was announced on 7 October 2024 recognising five
whistleblowers Whistleblowing (also whistle-blowing or whistle blowing) is the activity of a person, often an employee, revealing information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe, unethical or ...
. The prize was presented by
Adam Boulton Thomas Adam Babington Boulton (born 15 February 1959) is a British journalist and broadcaster who is a regular presenter on Times Radio. He was formerly editor-at-large of Sky News, and presenter of ''All Out Politics'' and ''Week in Review''. ...
on 23 October 2024. * Maggie Oliver – winner * Elizabeth Nicholl * David Neal * Stephen Cresswell * David Bell


Lectures

Following the prize-giving ceremony, an event is held in conjunction with
Cass Business School Bayes Business School, formerly known as Cass Business School, is the business school of City St George's, University of London, located in St Luke's, just to the north of the City of London. It was established in 1966. Bayes Business School ...
typically in the form of a lecture or discussion featuring the winner of that year's prize.


See also

*
Mais Lecture The Mais Lecture has been hosted since 1978, on a mostly annual basis, by Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), part of City, University of London. The lecture is named in honour of Alan Mais, Baron Mais, Lord Mais, the 645th Lord Mayor of London ...
* The Business School (formerly Cass)


External links


The Contrarian Prize
- official website


References

{{City, University of London British awards British lecture series Politics awards 2013 establishments in the United Kingdom City, University of London Recurring events established in 2013 Awards established in 2013