On May 9, 2024, over 300 guests gathered in Los Angeles, California, for the 2024 Aurora Prize Ceremony and Gratitude Dinner, which featured addresses by Noubar Afeyan, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative; Joe Manganiello, actor and producer; Lord Ara Darzi, Chair of the Aurora Prize Selection Committee, and many others. Virtuoso violinist Diana Adamyan enchanted the audience with her performance, which she dedicated to people suffering from modern-day atrocities. Aurora Co-Founder Ruben Vardanyan was unable to attend the Ceremony, so his wife Veronika Zonabend, Founding Partner and Chair of the Board of Governors of the UWC Dilijan, relayed his words in a moving video.

During the event, Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Aloe Blacc premiered his new anthem, “SHINE,” inspired by the commitment and courage of modern-day heroes who fight for justice and humanity. The Ceremony culminated with the eighth Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity being awarded to Dr. Denis Mukwege, a world-renowned gynecological surgeon and human rights activist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).