It was awarded virtually, because of the pandemic, by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, a previous recipient. The event was held on the 82nd anniversary of the Nazis' Kristallnacht, or "Night of Broken Glass," pogrom against Jewish synagogues, schools, hospitals and homes.
Guterres, who is Portuguese, recalled coming of age in Europe as it was recovering from World War II and the Nazi Holocaust.
"To see neo-Nazis and white supremacists on the march today is bone-chilling," he said. "To see them infiltrating militaries and security establishments heightens the danger further still."
As the world tries to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, Guterres said, "age-old blood libels have been given new life".
"Other groups have also been falsely accused — and faced not just vilification but violence," he said. "Meanwhile, disinformation and conspiracy theories have gained alarming ground." He decried "the same venom" that is dehumanising and scapegoating those who are viewed by some people as "the other".
But Guterres said there is hope.
"It is within our power to emerge from the pandemic with stronger communities, and more cohesive societies, by addressing the inequalities and injustices that have been exposed so starkly," he said.
He urged people everywhere to "stand together against hatred in all its forms."
"Our world today needs a return to reason — and a rejection of the lies and loathing that propelled the Nazis and that fracture societies today," he said.
To achieve this, Guterres said, "solidarity within and among countries will be crucial" and individuals must speak out even when they're not in the firing line.
"Hatred doesn't discriminate," he said. "Let's remember what history tells us about the descent into repression and violence: one day it is your neighbour under attack, the next it is likely you."
