2023 Free Expression Awards
Celebrating Champions of Free Expression
Thank you to our sponsors and everyone who joined us to honor this year’s First Amendment Heroes!

Hosted by Joie Chen
Veteran TV journalist
Event Chairs: Barbara and Christopher Wall
Honorees

Alexey Navalny
Russian opposition leader
Accepted by Leonid Volkov, chief of staff for Alexey Navalny

Brooklyn Public Library
Accepted by President and CEO Linda E. Johnson and Chief Librarian Nick Higgins

Evan Gershkovich and Austin Tice
Representing all journalists who are jailed or unjustly held around the world
Accepted by Paul Beckett, Wall Street Journal Washington bureau chief, and Sally Buzbee, Washington Post executive editor
Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
John and Cynthia Lee
Jan Neuharth and Joseph Keusch
Barbara and Christopher Wall
Silver Sponsors
Goldman Sachs
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
News Corp and Dow Jones
rand* construction corporation
Sequentur
Bronze Sponsors
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine
National Constitution Center
The Reef Team, TTR Sotheby's International Realty
Rogers Yogodzinski LLP
Judy Woodruff and Al Hunt
Media Sponsor
CBS News
Registration Sponsor
News/Media Alliance
Dessert Reception Sponsor
PolicyLink
Valet Sponsors
Baker Donelson
Marcum LLP
McKee Wallwork
To support the Free Expression Awards, contact Emily Simcox at 703/980-9830, or [email protected].
Steering Committee
Kristina Arriaga
John Avlon
Wolf Blitzer
Robin L. Bronk
Julie K. Brown
Marcia Bullard
Joie Chen
Connie Chung and Maury Povich
Ann Compton
Wayne A.I. Frederick
Nikole Hannah-Jones
Brian Hooks
Clark Hoyt and Linda Kauss
Alberto Ibargüen
Brent W. Jones
Manjusha P. Kulkarni
John F. Lansing
John and Cynthia Lee
DeRay Mckesson
Elisa Lees Muñoz
Susan Page and Carl Leubsdorf
Catherine Robb
April Ryan
Charles D. Tobin
Nina Totenberg
Eric Treene
Judy Woodruff and Al Hunt
Honorary Host Committee
U.S. Senator Ben Cardin
U.S. Representative Judy Chu
U.S. Representative David N. Cicilline
U.S. Representative Gerald E. Connolly
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen
U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger
U.S. Representative David Trone
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen
U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock

Hosted by Joie Chen
Veteran TV journalist
Event Chairs: Barbara and
Christopher Wall
Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
John and Cynthia Lee
Jan Neuharth and Joseph Keusch
Barbara and Christopher Wall
Silver Sponsors
Goldman Sachs
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
News Corp and Dow Jones
rand* construction corporation
Sequentur
Bronze Sponsors
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine
National Constitution Center
The Reef Team, TTR Sotheby's International Realty
Rogers Yogodzinski LLP
Judy Woodruff and Al Hunt
Media Sponsor
CBS News
Registration Sponsor
News/Media Alliance
Dessert Reception Sponsor
PolicyLink
Valet Sponsors
Baker Donelson
Marcum LLP
McKee Wallwork
To support the Free Expression Awards, contact Emily Simcox at 703/980-9830, or [email protected].
The Freedom Forum is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to fostering First Amendment freedoms for all.
Questions? Contact [email protected].