Photograph and words by GREG WILLIAMS
Words by JANE CROWTHER

Greg Williams joins George and Amal Clooney at their fourth annual fundraiser in London as the Clooney Foundation for Justice awards trailblazers and icons in philanthropy, freedom of speech and equality.

This year’s Albies, the Clooney Foundation for Justice annual fundraiser and awards recognising individuals making a difference in the world, were held at London’s Natural History Museum, with Greg Williams capturing the guests attending the event. Among the attendees was anti-apartheid activist and lawyer Justice Albie Sachs (a recipient in 2022 and who the awards are named after), who dined alongside guests such as Donatella Versace, Shailene Woodley, Charlotte Tilbury, Richard E. Grant, Dominic West and Felicity Jones. Hosted by Graham Norton, presenters included Meryl Streep, Jacinda Ardern, Dame Emma Thompson and the Clooneys, while musical interludes came from Brandi Carlile and John Legend. The dinner menu nodded to the Clooneys’ favourite holiday spot, with Italian penne all’arrabbiata served as table conversations flowed underneath the museum’s famous suspended Blue Whale skeleton. ‘At The Albies, the sacrifices and courageous commitments to justice and human rights take centre stage,’ George and Amal Clooney noted. ‘This is a celebration of the individuals whose lives and careers have come to embody those values that form the cornerstone of our foundation’s global work.’ Award recipients were:

Fatou Baldeh – Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL)
A leading voice on the dangers of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and a survivor herself, Baldeh founded WILL and successfully advocated against a 2024 effort to overturn The Gambia’s ban on the practice.

José Rubén Zamora – Journalist
One of Guatemala’s most respected journalists known for investigating corruption, he was charged and convicted of money laundering after reporting unfavourably on the President of Guatamala. He is in prison awaiting retrial.

Marty Baron – Editor and journalist
The former executive editor of The Boston Globe and The Washington Post.He led the Globe’s exposé on the Catholic Church’s cover-up of sexual abuse, as well as the Post’s reporting on widespread digital surveillance of American citizens.

Melinda French Gates – Philanthropist
A champion of global efforts for women’s health and equality for over 25 years. She now leads Pivotal Ventures – an organisation that advances women’s empowerment around the world. 

Darren Walker – President of the Ford Foundation
The Lifetime Achievement recipient created the first billion-dollar social bond in U.S. capital markets to stabilise nonprofit organisations during Covid. During a long career he has been key in numerous social justice initiatives. 

To find out more about The Albies, visit cfj.org/the-albies. See other causes The Clooney Foundation for Justice supports at cfj.org