Defender Awards 2025 shortlist in full
Defenders of the Land shortlisted entries:
Australia – Boomerang Alliance
Australia – Co‑Exist: Youth‑led conservation
Germany – PATRON
South Africa – Nuwejaars River Nature Reserve
South Africa – Rhino Revolution
UK – Thousand Year Trust
UK – Youngwilders CIC
France – Save the Forest of Fontainebleau
France – Solidraid 91: Guardians of the Hedges
Italy – Fondazione Sylva: Environment regeneration
Italy – APS Rocciaviva
Japan – Watershed Regeneration
Japan – Nature’s Guardian Expedition
Japan – Conference for future of Yakushima and The Earth
Japan – Moo Mow Project
Japan – Kinshizen Forest Creation Association Seedling Bank
Defenders of the Wild shortlisted entries:
Australia – Aussie Ark Conservation of endangered native species
Australia – Possumwood Wildlife Recovery and Research
Germany – Tierrettung Uckermark
Germany – Falconry Greifenstein Castle
South Africa – African Pangolin Working Group
South Africa – Wild Bird Trust Cape Parrot Project
South Africa – Rooiberg Bewaria
UK – Shepreth Wildlife Conservation Charity
UK – Restoring Upland Nature
France – Totem
France – Igema
Italy – Salviamo L’Orso
Italy – C.R.A.S. Rimini, wildlife rescue
Defenders of Humanity shortlisted entries:
Australia – Skin Check Champions
Australia – On the Ground: Community Relief & Resilience Project, Community Response Australia
Germany – K‑9 Pro Vermisstensuche
Germany – SapoCycle Germany
South Africa – iThemba Kuluntu
South Africa – Hope SA Foundation
UK – Suicide Prevention UK
UK – North East Wales Search and Rescue
France – DPS 64 Pyrénées Atlantiques
Italy – ReAct: Drone assisted monitoring, search and rescue
Italy – Scuola Fatoma
Japan – OPEN JAPAN Emergency Support Project
Defenders of the Sea shortlisted entries:
Australia – Take 3 for the Sea
Australia – White Rock: Defenders of the Great Southern Reef
Germany – Lahntaucher
Germany – The Blueheart
South Africa – The Litterboom Project
South Africa – The South African Whale Disentanglement Network
UK – Sussex Dolphin Project
UK – Women in Ocean Science Charity
France – Blue Carbon Gardeners, NAECO
France – The Blue Odyssey Initiative
France – Apex Cetacea
Italy – Operation Adriatic Defenders, 2HANDS
Italy – Underwater Dome, CESTHA
Japan – Yagishiri UNIMOBA Sustainable Fisheries Project
Japan – Everlasting Nature Ogasawara Marine Center
International Defender Awards judging panel:
Co‑chair: Mark Cameron, Defender Managing Director, JLR
Co‑chair: Dr Moreangels Mbizah, Founder and Executive Director, Wildlife Conservation Action
Germany: Max Muench, adventurer and landscape photographer
France: Bertrand Piccard, explorer, environmentalist and founder of Solar Pulse Foundation
Italy: Alessandra Mastronardi, actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Australia: Tyson Mayr, TV presenter and National Geographic filmmaker
Japan: Michiaki Matsushima, Editorial Director of WIRED Japan, Moonshot Ambassador for the Cabinet Office
About Defender
Defender embraces the impossible. Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable and seriously durable. A modern‑day hero that respects the past but at the same time anticipates the future.
Available in 90, 110 and 130 body styles, with up to eight seats, each has a charisma of its own.
As part of our vision of modern luxury by design, Defender 110 is available as an electric hybrid.
Defender Hard Top means business, with 90 and 110 body styles for professional capability.
The tough luxury Defender OCTA is the master of extreme performance – taking performance and capability to another level on and off‑road.
A beacon of liberty that can trace its roots back to the first Land Rover in 1948, Defender is a brand that supports humanitarian and conservation work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Tusk Trust.
The Defender brand is underpinned by Land Rover – a mark of trust built on more than 75 years of expertise in technology and world‑leading off‑road capability.
Defender is designed and engineered in the UK and sold in 121 countries. It belongs to the JLR house of brands alongside Range Rover, Discovery and Jaguar.
Important notice
JLR is constantly seeking ways to improve the specification, design and production of its vehicles, parts and accessories and alterations take place continually. Whilst every effort is made to produce up‑to‑date literature, this document should not be regarded as an infallible guide to current specifications or availability, nor does it constitute an offer for the sale of any particular vehicle, part or accessory. All figures are manufacturer’s estimates.