The Nansen Refugee Award

This annual award is named after the late great Norwegian polar explorer and humanitarian Fridtjof Nansen, who was appointed in 1921 by the UN's predecessor, the League of Nations, to be the very first High Commissioner for Refugees. The Nansen Award, consisting of a medal and a US$100,000 monetary prize, is given out every year in October to a person or group for outstanding services in supporting the refugee cause.