J. NAVARRO-VALLS INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP AND BENEVOLENCE: THE FOURTH EDITION GOES TO MAESTRO ANDREA BOCELLI AND GIULIA LAPERTOSA
The event, promoted by the Biomedical University Foundation, will be held at the Hall of the Protomoteca at the Capitoline Museums on June 23.
The Award, which celebrates leadership and benevolence, pays tribute to Joaquín Navarro-Valls as a “man of unity.”
The goal is to support the “Navarro-Valls Scholarship Fund” at the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome to benefit deserving and underprivileged students.
Rome, May 13, 2026 – The fourth edition of the Joaquín Navarro-Valls International Award for Leadership and Benevolence, promoted by the Biomedical University Foundation, returns to Rome on Tuesday, June 23, at the Hall of the Protomoteca in the Capitoline Museums. The award honors prominent figures who have distinguished themselves in their respective fields through their ability to combine professional excellence with an ethical vision, leadership, and a spirit of service.
Hosted by Safiria Leccese, the recognition will be presented to Maestro Andrea Bocelli and Giulia Lapertosa. Both are being honored for expressing—through different yet complementary paths—a form of leadership capable of generating human and social value.
For the Senior Category, the Award recognizes Andrea Bocelli, an icon of Italian music worldwide, for his extraordinary ability to combine artistic excellence, deep humanity, and a commitment to solidarity. This is further evidenced by the work of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation; guided by its mission of “empowering people and communities,” the foundation promotes social innovation and helps create a world where children, youth, and vulnerable communities are given the opportunity to fully express their potential.
In the Junior Category, Giulia Lapertosa is awarded for her ability to transform entrepreneurial vision and social sensitivity into concrete tools for inclusion, promoting access to education and skills as a lever for growth and opportunity for the new generations.
This year, the Award focuses on Navarro-Valls as a “man of unity,” after having celebrated the co-founder of the Biomedical University Foundation as a “man of friendship” in the first edition, a “man of communication” in the second, and a “man of hope” in the third.
Navarro-Valls was a physician, a journalist, and, for over twenty years, the spokesperson for Saint John Paul II as the Director of the Holy See Press Office. His professional and human legacy remains a point of reference today for those who wish to put their skills at the service of the community with a spirit of dedication and an authentic sense of the common good.
In addition to the award ceremony, the event will also serve as an opportunity to support the Navarro-Valls Scholarship Fund at the Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, with the aim of promoting the right to education, social inclusion, and the growth of underprivileged young talents.
The Scientific Committee, tasked with selecting the candidates, is chaired by Federico Eichberg, Vice President of the Biomedical University Foundation, and includes Matteo Colaninno, Giuseppe Cornetto Bourlot, Stefano Lucchini, and Luisa Todini.
The Jury, responsible for designating the awardees, is made up of the President of the Biomedical University Foundation, Alessandro Pernigo, alongside Paolo Arullani, Ferruccio De Bortoli, Maria Bianca Farina, Gianni Letta, and Lucia Vedani.
In past editions, the Award has been conferred upon prominent figures such as entrepreneur Brunello Cucinelli in the first edition, Lina Tombolato Doris and Nicolò Govoni in the second, and Silvano Pedrollo and Anna Fiscale last year.
