Ricky Gervais has received the inaugural Jane Goodall Award for Unwavering Advocacy for Animals, honoring years of public campaigning and philanthropy on behalf of animals.
The comedian and actor accepted the award on March 23, 2026, at the first Jane Goodall Institute Hope Gala, held at The Peninsula London. The event celebrated the life and legacy of Dame Jane Goodall while raising support for the Jane Goodall Institute and its Roots & Shoots program.
Gervais was one of three inaugural Jane Goodall Hope Award recipients. Actor and animal advocate Peter Egan and Animals Asia founder Dr. Jill Robinson were also honored for their work.
An award tied to Jane Goodall’s legacy
Goodall transformed scientific understanding of chimpanzees and spent decades urging people to recognize the intelligence, emotions and individuality of other animals. She died in October 2025 at age 91, making the gala both a tribute and an effort to carry her work forward.
During his acceptance speech, Gervais made clear that he did not place his own advocacy on the same level as Goodall’s lifetime of fieldwork. He joked that he tweets, signs petitions and gives money, but did not “go and live with chimps for 40 years.”
The self-deprecating remark underscored why the award resonated: the recognition was not for claiming Goodall’s scientific legacy, but for repeatedly using a huge public platform to keep animal suffering and protection in the public conversation.
Turning ticket sales into help for animals
Gervais’s advocacy has also included substantial financial support. In December 2025, Wild Futures reported that £2.43 million from his 2024–25 Mortality tour was divided among 22 animal charities. The organizations supported work involving rescued dogs, cats, primates and other animals around the world.
That gift followed earlier tour-based donations. In 2022, profits from premium ticket sales for his SuperNature tour raised £427,243.42. International Animal Rescue said the money was split evenly among three animal charities, with each receiving £142,414.47.
In 2023, profits from platinum tickets for the Armageddon tour generated £1.9 million for 11 animal charities, according to Ticketmaster. Together, the donations show that the award recognized an established pattern rather than a single gesture.
Three inaugural recipients
The first Hope Awards highlighted different forms of advocacy. Egan has served as an ambassador and patron for multiple animal organizations. Robinson was recognized for more than three decades of leadership and her campaign to end bear bile farming in Asia.
Animals Asia described Robinson, Gervais and Egan as the first three recipients of the awards presented by the Jane Goodall Institute. Their work spans rescue, public education, fundraising and long-term campaigns to change the treatment of animals.
For Gervais, the honor connects a career built in comedy and entertainment with a cause he has made central to his public life: using attention, influence and money to speak up for animals.
Sources
- Vogue — Inside the inaugural Jane Goodall Institute Hope Gala
- Animals Asia — Inaugural Jane Goodall Hope Awards
- Wild Futures — £2.43 million Mortality tour donation
- International Animal Rescue — £427,243 SuperNature donation
- Ticketmaster — £1.9 million Armageddon donation
