Apple CEO Tim Cook Wins 2017 Free Expression Award in Free Speech Category

The Newseum is set to award Apple CEO Tim Cook a Free Expression Award in the Free Speech category, in an awards dinner ceremony set to take place tomorrow evening in Washington, DC.

According to a statement issued to iPhone in Canada, the Newseum says Cook is being honoured with this award because he has “used his spotlight to take a public stand on major societal issues, including racial equality, privacy, protecting the environment, access to education and LGBT rights.”

This is the second  year the Free Expression Awards have been held, as it aims to “recognize those who exhibit passion for and dedication to free expression.”

Other honourees set to receive awards include the following:

• John Lewis (United States Representative, Georgia) – Lifetime Achievement Award
• Martha Raddatz (Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, ABC News, and Co-anchor, “This Week with George Stephanopoulos”) – Free Press Award
• Kristina Arriaga De Bucholz (Executive Director, Becket Law) – Religious Freedom Award
• Christie Hefner (Former Chairman and CEO, Playboy Enterprises) – Arts and Entertainment Award
• Hugh Hefner (Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Playboy) – Arts and Entertainment Award

According to the Newseum, those being honoured “have taken personal or professional risks in sharing critical information with the public, have been censored or punished by authorities or other groups for their work, or have pushed boundaries in artistic and media expression.”

The award presentations will also be streamed live from the Newseum, starting at 5:20PM PT/8:20PM ET, on April 18th. No word if Cook will be in attendance or not to accept the award.