The Filipino conservation photographer joins an international community of changemakers recognized for carrying Muhammad Ali’s humanitarian values into their respective fields.
At 29, Filipino photographer, multidisciplinary artist, and Lifestyle Asia April 2026 digital cover star Gab Mejia has added another distinction to a growing list of accolades, becoming the first Filipino recipient of the Muhammad Ali Center’s Spirituality Award at the 2026 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards.
The award recognizes young adults aged 30 and under who embody one of the six principles Muhammad Ali championed throughout his life: confidence, courage, dedication, giving, respect, and spirituality. Gab received the distinction for the latter, joining an international group of changemakers whose work reflects Ali’s commitment to humanitarianism and social justice.
READ ALSO: Cover Story: Gab Mejia On Art, Conservation, And The World Worth Protecting
What Are The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards?
Held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, the awards were established in 2013 by the Muhammad Ali Center to honor the late boxer’s legacy beyond the ring. While its Seasoned Awards recognize individuals with longstanding humanitarian contributions, the Six Core Principles Awards celebrate a younger generation taking those values to their respective fields.
Gab marked the occasion in an Instagram post, describing the recognition as both an honor and a responsibility. For him, the award represents an opportunity to bring Filipino stories and environmental concerns into a wider conversation about justice, dignity, and collective survival.
His dedication also extended to the women who shaped his understanding of courage, including his mother, grandmothers, and the communities that continue to inform his work. “Just grateful to be alive, surviving, and happy to bring my mama and papa in this special moment,” he wrote.
Who is Gab Mejia?
It’s a fitting recognition for someone whose work has long considered the relationship between people and the natural world. Based in Manila, Gab is a conservation photographer, environmental engineer, National Geographic Explorer, and Nikon Asia Ambassador. His practice examines the climate crisis, endangered wildlife, and the intersections of ecology, cultureCultureshared traditions, beliefs, values, customs, arts, and social practices that define the identity and way of life of a community, society, or nation.Go to Culture Glossary, and identity, often turning his camera toward communities and traditions that risk disappearing alongside their environments.
“Photography is like this tool or vessel,” Gab told Lifestyle Asia in April 2026, “because it’s how I express my own voice in terms of advocating for nature or the causes that I really believe in, the ecosystems that I really want to protect, from the wetlands and forests.”
His track record suggests that this latest distinction is part of a much longer conversation. In 2021, at just 24, he became the first Filipino to receive the World Wildlife Fund’s President’s Youth Award. Three years later, he won the Open Category of the Objectifs Documentary Award for a project examining the decline of ecological rituals and oral traditions among Filipino Indigenous queer and women shamans, or babaylan, against the history of Philippine forests.
His photographs and stories have since appeared in National Geographic, Vogue, and United Nations publications, among others. In 2026, he was also the only Filipino creative selected for the FOTO Bali Festival.
Photography by Gab Villareal, assisted by Albert Calaguas; styling by Gee Jocson, assisted by Kassandra Gandionco, Reese Tio, Buddy Bernardino, and Vince Avisado; hair and makeup by Cats del Rosario; shot on location at Arroceros Forest Park; special thanks to the City of Manila.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gab Mejia is a Filipino conservation photographer, multidisciplinary artist, environmental engineer, National Geographic Explorer, and Nikon Asia Ambassador based in Manila. His work focuses on endangered wildlife, the climate crisis, and the relationship between culture and the environment.
Gab Mejia received the Muhammad Ali Center’s Humanitarian Award for Spirituality, becoming the first Filipino to earn the distinction.
Established in 2013, the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards are an annual ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky, that honors individuals carrying forward Muhammad Ali’s humanitarian legacy and values.
Gab Mejia documents endangered wildlife, threatened ecosystems, and the intersections of environmental conservation and cultural heritage. His work also explores Indigenous ecological traditions and the stories of Filipino communities.
In 2021, Gab became the first Filipino recipient of the World Wildlife Fund’s President’s Youth Award. He also won the Open Category of the 2024 Objectifs Documentary Award and was the only Filipino creative selected for the 2026 FOTO Bali Festival.
