Global censorship has surged in recent years, but a brave few have steadfastly stood against tyrannical regimes attempting to tighten their grip in America and abroad.
For the second annual MRC Free Speech Award, the Media Research Center chose to singularly honor Charlie Kirk, who devoted his life's work to protecting free speech and encouraging not merely Americans but citizens around the world to exercise their right to speak without fear. In addition, the MRC has recognized Trump officials and members of Congress, and will recognize legal officers as well. Public and foreign free speech advocates like MRC founder Brent Bozell, tech mogul Elon Musk and best-selling author J.K. Rowling also deserve praise for their dedication to speaking boldly in support of free speech even at personal cost.
As recent as May 2025, Kirk visited the U.K., which he said had “become a totalitarian country” because of its stringent censorship policies that have jailed citizens for disfavored speech critical of the government.
Indeed, London Metropolitan Police just dropped an investigation into Irish comedy creator Graham Linehan after he was arrested at Heathrow airport last month. He had written X posts disagreeing with the left’s “transgender” ideology while in the United States — where he now lives — and authorities were waiting to arrest him as soon as he set foot back in the U.K. A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson told Sky News that "no further action” should be taken in this case.
Others, however, have not been so lucky. As Kirk pointed out in May, UK citizen Lucy Connolly was sentenced to 31 months in prison for posts she made criticizing U.K. immigration policy. The posts were deemed “threatening or abusive,” and she later deleted them. Nonetheless, her attempts to appeal her case and sentencing were denied. At the time, Kirk called it “outrageous” and asked, “Is this a way that a liberal democracy and an ‘ally’ of the United States acts?”
Other countries have taken a similarly harsh approach to quashing speech. In February,
CBS’s 60 Minutes revealed that Germany has whole police units devoted to this kind of work, and one Lower Saxony unit reportedly had around 3,500 cases it was investigating.
Similar persecution has occurred in Brazil, the European Union, France, Finland and Romania. And under the Biden administration, the United States was not far behind.
MRC uncovered 57 censorship initiatives directed by the Biden administration across 93 federal agencies that targeted free speech in the courts, through shadow government programs and via government collusion with Big Tech companies and non-profits.
Until recently, censorship in America was hot. But thanks to the tireless work of Kirk and other notable free speech warriors that MRC is now celebrating, the tide is starting to turn.
The MRC is proud to recognize the following free speech advocates for their actions in defense of Americans’ free speech rights:
- L. Brent Bozell III
In 2025, Brent retired from the Media Research Censor, a free speech organization he founded and led for almost four decades. He has been the nation’s leading champion fighting against left-wing bias in news media and popular culture. He was also the first to sound the alarm about Big Tech companies suppressing conservative voices, leading the fight to stop this un-American censorship. No one can deny the incredible, lasting impact he has made on American culture. Big Tech and Big Media were no match for him.
- Elon Musk
As the founder of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk showed incredible courage by dismantling Biden’s censorship agencies, firing hundreds of government censors and cutting off thousands of censorship grants, even as terrorists were attacking his business. Musk has also been one of the few men brave enough to try to hold OpenAI accountable for its unlawful and deceptive business model. Now, Musk is attempting to build a free speech social media platform, a free speech AI, and a free speech public encyclopedia — a daunting quest worthy of the real-life Iron Man.
- J.K. Rowling (United Kingdom)
J.K. Rowling risked imprisonment by forcefully speaking out against Scotland’s hate speech law, which created a new category of crime for recognizing biological reality.
MRC presented 35 pro-free speech advocates with the prestigious MRC Free Speech Award last year, honoring the original vision for Free Speech Week with 2024 awards. The 2024 award winners included: five U.S. senators, 10 U.S. congressmen, 10 officials ranging from attorneys general to governors and from state legislators to the FCC, as well as 10 thought leaders.
Free speech is under attack! Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
