The2017 Fukuoka Prize winners were announced on Thursday, September 21, with the jury naming professor Pasuk Phongpaichit and her husband, the well-known Thailand-based writer Chris Baker, the winners of this year’s Grand Prize. The winner of the Academic Prize, professor Wang Ming is one of the leaders of NGO studies and environmental governance in China. He founded the Tsinghua University NGO Research Centre to teach NGO studies in China and also is credited with helping open up the academic field of philanthropy. The Arts and Culture Prize was won by respected Khmer musician Kong Nay, who plays the chapey dong veng, and is one of few remaining heirs to the tradition of chapey musical performance. Through his performances and compositions, he has spread awareness throughout the world of the charm and versatility of chapey music, and has also contributed greatly to training young musicians, to the UN’s human rights activities, and to events to support disabled people. Photos by Pann Rethea and Heng Chivon