Chicago, IL (October 28, 2026) – The Lincoln Presidential Foundation (“Foundation”) announced today that Tom Hanks will receive its 2027 Lincoln Leadership Prize at a ceremony in Chicago this spring. The Lincoln Leadership Prize dinner date and location will be announced in the coming months.
The Lincoln Leadership Prize recognizes individuals who accept the responsibilities imposed by history and demanded by conscience, show great strength of character, and exhibit an unwavering commitment to the defining principles of democracy.
One of only two actors in history to win back-to-back Best Actor Academy Awards, Hanks has starred in over 40 films, including “Forrest Gump,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Cast Away,” “Big,” “Philadelphia,” “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” and “A Man Called Otto,” as well as voicing Woody in all five “Toy Story” movies. With his production company, Playtone, Hanks has produced several award-winning TV series and films, including “John Adams,” “Band of Brothers,” “Olive Kitteridge,” “Mamma Mia!” and “Greyhound.” Hanks has received AFI's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s Cecil B. DeMille Award, a Kennedy Center Honor, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Through his brand “Hanks For Our Troops,” which donates all profits to veterans and military families, and his role as chair of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s Hidden Heroes campaign, Hanks has honored those who have served and supported the caregivers and families who stand behind them. His work echoes Lincoln’s call in his Second Inaugural Address “to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.”
Reflecting on his advocacy for and lifelong interest in history, Hanks, a distant relative of Abraham Lincoln, described himself in a PBS NewsHour interview as fascinated by “the American story and the great march of time and history.”
“Mr. Hanks has spent decades bringing some of the most memorable characters and historical figures in American film to life,” said Erin Carlson Mast, CEO of the Lincoln Presidential Foundation. “His work on and off screen to promote history and support those who have served our country makes this recognition especially fitting.”
“For two decades, the Lincoln Leadership Prize has honored people who keep Lincoln’s ideals alive and relevant,” said Charlie Bobrinskoy, Foundation Board Chair. “Tom Hanks helped us honor Captain James Lovell with the Prize in 2010, and we’re delighted to welcome him back to Chicago as our 2027 honoree. We could not be prouder to honor someone whose work has reached millions of Americans, on screen and off.”
For more information about the Lincoln Leadership Prize, please visit www.lincolnpresidential.org.
For tickets and/or table sponsorship information, please contact Angela Staron at astaron@lincolnpresidential.org.
About the Lincoln Presidential Foundation
Established in 2000, the Lincoln Presidential Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity headquartered in Illinois. It is the only national foundation focused on increasing access to history, educational programs, exhibits, and sites highlighting the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. The Foundation does its work in cooperation and partnership with others locally, nationally, and globally. Its vision is a world where freedom and democracy flourish, inspired by the life and work of Abraham Lincoln. Learn more at lincolnpresidential.org.
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