Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Republican Rep. Liz Cheney are among the five recipients of this year's Profile in Courage Awards for protecting democracy in the United States and around the world.
The Kennedy family and John F. Kennedy Library Foundation have been giving out the awards since 1989 to public servants who have made courageous decisions without regard to personal or professional consequences. The awards are named in honor of JFK's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1957 book, "Profiles in Courage."
Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy, unveiled the recipients exclusively on TODAY Thursday.
In addition to Zelenskyy and Cheney, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers, and Georgia Election Department worker Wandrea "Shaye" Moss are also being honored for their actions in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.
"There is no more important issue facing our country — and the world — today than the fight for democracy. Today’s honorees put their careers and lives on the line to protect democratic principles and the integrity of our elections. Their service and courage inspire us all,” Caroline Kennedy, JFK's daughter and the honorary president of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, said in a statement.
Last year’s recipient was Sen. Mitt Romney, who was the only Republican to vote to convict former President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2020.
The awards are selected by a bipartisan committee of national, political and community leaders. Previous recipients include former Presidents Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford.
Kennedy and Schlossberg will present this year's awards during a ceremony on May 22 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston.
Here is more on each recipient:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
The president of Ukraine has been hailed for showing courage and leadership as a voice of democracy since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February. He has been a target for assassination by Russian forces but has continued to speak on the world stage about the threat facing his country and the fight to preserve its democracy.
Liz Cheney
The Republican congresswoman from Wyoming has suffered professional consequences for voting to impeach former President Donald Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. She was stripped of her leadership position in the GOP caucus for condemning the false claim by Trump that the 2020 election was stolen. She also is one of two Republican members of the Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Jocelyn Benson
Michigan's secretary of state had armed protestors gather in front of her home in December 2020 demanding that the state's presidential election results be reversed. Despite threats and harassment, she fulfilled the duties of her office in accordance with state law and certified the vote, which favored President Joe Biden.
Rusty Bowers
The Republican speaker of the Arizona House resisted pressure from Trump and Rudy Giuliani to replace Arizona's legal slate of electors following the 2020 election.
He has endured threats and intimidation as well as an attempt to recall him from the legislature. He also stopped a Republican-sponsored bill in January that would have allowed the legislature to overturn the results of an election.
Wandrea “Shaye” Moss
Moss, an elections department employee in Fulton County, Georgia, had to go into hiding and change her appearance due to racist taunts and death threats after becoming the target of Trump allies looking to overturn the 2020 election.
Moss helped process the vote count on Election Day and was falsely accused of processing fake ballots for Biden. Despite the threats, she continues to serve in the Fulton County Elections Office.
nnedy Library Foundation is the non-profit