Contrarian Prize


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, businessman and winner of the inaugural prize Michael Woodford, journalist Izabella Kaminska, and politician Gawain Towler.

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 – 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 on 18 March 2013.
The 2014 prize was awarded on 2 April 2014.
Presented by: Will Hutton

2015 Contrarian Prize

The shortlist for the 2015 prize was announced in June 2015, and the prize was presented by Jonathan Dimbleby on 18 June 2015.
The 2017 prize was presented by Sir Simon Jenkins on 16 May 2017.
The shortlist for the 2019 prize was announced in June 2019, and the prize was presented by Jeremy Paxman on 25 June 2019.
The shortlist for the 2021 prize was announced in October 2021, and the prize was presented by Michael Crick on 11 November 2021.
The shortlist for the 2024 prize was announced on 7 October 2024 recognising five whistleblowers. The prize was presented by Adam Boulton 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 typically in the form of a lecture or discussion featuring the winner of that year's prize.
DateSpeakerTitle
20 November 2013Michael WoodfordHow do we achieve a more moral capitalism?
19 November 2014Clive Stafford SmithThe long path to injustice
2 December 2015Simon Danczuk MPHiding in plain sight: how child sexual abusers get away with it
30 November 2016Panel debate:
Claire Fox, Ed Husain, Izabella Kaminska, Giesla Stuart, Peter Tatchell, Simon Wessely		Contrarianism in an age of conformity
5 December 2018Professor Patrick MinfordBrexit and beyond
25 November 2020Katharine Birbalsingh CBEAgainst the grain: how a brave headteacher spearheaded an educational revolution
19 October 2022Panel debate:
Claire Fox, Michael Crick, Sunetra Gupta, André Spicer, Peter Tatchell		Is it becoming impossible to be a contrarian?
1 November 2023Toby YoungFreedom of Speech and Censorship: Examining the Tensions Between Open Discourse and Harmful Content