Original British adventure brand, Defender, has launched the inaugural Defender Awards initiative to champion and support local conservation and humanitarian heroes. The £1m commitment sees the brand extend its unwavering support for conservation and humanitarian causes, following 70 years of partnership with the British Red Cross and 20 years of collaboration with African conservation charity Tusk.
The international initiative will recognise and reward seven winners drawn from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan and South Africa. 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:
Defenders of the Wild – protecting endangered and at‑risk species
Defenders of Humanity – supporting vulnerable communities
Defenders of the Land – protecting and restoring the most precious and fragile places on earth
Defenders of the Sea – protecting marine species and environments
Defender is a brand with purpose at its heart, with humanitarian roots that can be traced back to the first Series Land Rovers of 1948. Defender has always been a lifeline to the communities in which it operates – from the first vehicles deployed with Red Cross nurses in Kenya and Dubai in 1954, to its partnership with Tusk to protect engaged species and bio‑diversity in Africa – and is committed to supporting the heroes who are embracing the impossible every day.
Defender has a proud heritage of helping people make more of their world, spanning both humanitarian and conservation causes. Our enduring 70‑year association with the Red Cross and 20 years of work with Tusk support established organisations – but we wanted a way of engaging with smaller‑scale initiatives.
We have 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 will enrich Defender’s rich history of supporting vulnerable habitats, species and communities.
Mark Cameron
Managing Director, Defender
Details of how to enter are available on the Defender website: landrover.com/defender‑awards and the closing date for submissions is 16 June 2025. National judges will then 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.
Defender Awards in detail
The pioneering Defender Awards initiative, which runs over two years, has been conceived to support small‑scale charities and non‑profit organisations* that work on humanitarian and conservation projects at a local level. The winning entries will each be awarded £100,000 of funding, and to support their operations, they will also receive a highly capable and durable Defender 4×4, with all maintenance costs covered.
In addition, prize‑winners will benefit from ongoing mentoring and support from the experienced panel of Defender Awards judges, who will use their expert knowledge to help guide and advise the winning programmes.
For the inaugural Defender Awards, an international judging panel will select seven overall winners from the shortlisted entries, with at least one winner from each participating country (UK, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan and South Africa).
The initial 56‑strong shortlist will comprise two projects from each of the following categories, from each country.
Defenders of the Wild: For projects committed to helping protect endangered and at‑risk species, whatever their size. The mission is to help protect indigenous species of all kinds, from the Alpine Shrew in Italy and Germany to Vultures in South Africa.
Defenders of Humanity: For projects which support people and communities in their time of need. The mission is to help vulnerable communities thrive – and to help them prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises, whenever and wherever they strike.
Defenders of the Land: For projects dedicated to protecting important ecosystems. The mission is to help protect and rewild some of the world’s most fragile landscapes, from moorlands in the UK to rainforests in Australia.
Defenders of the Sea: For projects dedicated to supporting marine and coastal species, and the ecosystems upon which they rely. The mission is to address the many challenges affecting sea life and coastal communities, from water pollution in France to unsustainable fishing practices in Japan.
The launch of the Defender Awards initiative coincides with the beginning of a new Defender advertising campaign. Rhino Whisperer celebrates the two‑decade‑long relationship with Tusk, as Defender has helped to deliver its conservation mission in Africa for 20 years. Over this time Tusk has increased protection for over 50 million hectares of vital wildlife habitat and supported the conservation of more than 40 threatened species.
Our partnership with Defender goes from strength to strength and many of our project partners have been relying on Defender vehicles to support their operations for more than 20 years. The new Defender Awards initiative represents a valuable opportunity for smaller organisations to begin their own relationships – and benefit from additional funding and expertise, as well as the 4×4 capability that is associated with Defender.
Charlie Mayhew OBE
Founder and President of Tusk
Defender Awards entries can be submitted from 02 April 2025, with one entry per participant. Apply at landrover.com/defender‑awards the closing date for entries is 16 June 2025.
