WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation today awarded the 2025 Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship to Seth Dillon, CEO of The Babylon Bee. The Savatori Prize is awarded annually to an American citizen or organization upholding and advancing the principles of our country’s founding.
Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts released the following statement while awarding Dillon and his company:
“In an age when the radical Left seeks to criminalize truth and outlaw laughter, The Babylon Bee stands as a bold, brilliant force for both. Under Seth Dillon’s leadership, The Bee has done more than make us laugh—they’ve exposed the absurdities of our cultural moment and reminded Americans that humor, rightly used, is a weapon for liberty.
“Their satire isn’t just funny—it’s prophetic. And by wielding it so courageously, they’ve become champions of free speech and defenders of common sense. We’re proud to honor them with the Salvatori Prize.”
The Babylon Bee, a satirical news site, has soared to success under Dillon’s leadership and is now a major voice in media with more than 20,000 paid subscribers, 20 million page views a month, and more than five million subscribers on X.
Accepting the award from Heritage, Dillon said:
“I got into the satire business to become wealthy and win awards. I’m thrilled that this prize, with its accompanying honorarium, checks both boxes.
“In all seriousness, I’m honored to receive the Salvatori Prize from The Heritage Foundation. Free speech is fundamental—we can’t defend truth or any other right if we can’t speak freely. I’m profoundly grateful for the recognition and the partnership of allies like Heritage, who share our commitment to this founding principle.”
While challenging bad ideas from all political perspectives, The Babylon Bee explains it’s in the business of speaking truth through humor. This mission has put them on the front lines of the battle to fight for freedom.
Dillon and The Babylon Bee have had to withstand an onslaught of censorship—from being suspended from X, to being deplatformed on YouTube and Facebook, and eventually pulled into court in California. Seth Dillon and The Babylon Bee have not backed down.
The Babylon Bee has chronicled more than 100 headlines that have come true after they published satirical articles, leading Dillon to point out the challenges of keeping up when the jokes continue to come true.
BACKGROUND
The Salvatori Prize for American Citizenship is given annually to an individual or organization upholding and advancing the principles of the American founding, embodying the virtues of character and mind that animated the Founders—and exemplifying the spirit of independent and entrepreneurial citizenship in the United States. The award is named after Henry Salvatori, an immigrant, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and dedicated conservative activist.
Previous recipients include Christopher Rufo, Students for Fair Admissions, Tucker Carlson, Moms for Liberty, the Washington Free Beacon, Mollie Hemingway, Dr. Robert Jackson, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, the Green and Hahns families, and former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson.
