New Delhi/Norfolk – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has announced its highly anticipated awards for 2025, honouring a diverse group of activists, celebrities, and innovators who have championed the cause of animal welfare over the past year. Leading the list of honorees are Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon and the legendary primatologist Dr Jane Goodall.
2025 Award Winners at a Glance
This year’s recipients span the worlds of cinema, science, fashion, and grassroots activism. The key honorees include:
- PETA India Person of the Year: Raveena Tandon
- Reason: For her personal rescue of animals (including a kitten in Mumbai), her advocacy for a vegan lifestyle, and for gifting a life-size mechanical elephant to a Karnataka temple to end the use of live elephants in religious processions.
- PETA Global Person of the Year: Dr Jane Goodall (Posthumous)
- Reason: Honoured for her lifetime legacy of redefining humanity’s relationship with animals and her unwavering stance against animal experimentation.
- Best Vegan Style Icon: Riteish Deshmukh
- Reason: Recognised for using his platform to promote plant-based living and sustainable choices.
- Volunteer of the Year: Priyanka Kolvekar
- Reason: The former Miss Queen Universe was celebrated for over a decade of on-ground animal rescue work in Goa.
- Best Vegan Makeup: LoveChild by Masaba
- Reason: Masaba Gupta’s beauty brand was lauded for its cruelty-free commitment.
- Best Vegan Nutrition: SuperYou & HRX
- Reason: Ranveer Singh’s SuperYou (Protein) and Hrithik Roshan’s HRX by EatFit (Snacks) were recognised for making vegan nutrition mainstream.
Kolkata Crowned “Most Vegan-Friendly City”
In a unique category, PETA India awarded the title of Most Vegan-Friendly City to Kolkata.
While many cities rely on new vegan cafes to win this title, Kolkata was chosen for its culinary heritage. PETA cited the city’s vast array of inadvertently vegan dishes—such as Aloo Posto, Puchka, and various vegetable curries—which make plant-based eating culturally ingrained and accessible to everyone, not just those looking for meat alternatives.
A Year of Compassionate Innovation
“From mechanical elephants replacing live ones in temples to Bollywood stars launching cruelty-free proteins, 2025 has been a year of innovation,” a PETA representative stated. The awards highlight a shifting trend where ethical choices are becoming not just a moral stance, but a mainstream lifestyle.