Lithuanian National Prize: overview, eligibility, history and significance Lithuanian National Prize State cultural award established in 1989 to honor recent achievements in the arts and culture; presented annually on February 16 with a memorial sign, diploma and monetary grant.
Locus Awards Locus Award Annual science fiction and fantasy honors selected by readers of Locus Magazine. Founded in 1971 for works published in 1970, presented at a yearly banquet and noted for awarding p…
Loebner Prize: an annual Turing test chatbot competition Loebner prize Annual competition, begun in 1990, that stages Turing test–style conversations between human judges and chatbots. Awards, format, history, criticisms, and its place in AI culture.
Logan Medal of the Arts: history, purpose, and controversies Logan Medal of the Arts An overview of the Logan Medal of the Arts, a prize founded in 1907 by Frank G. Logan, its administration with the Art Institute of Chicago, its conservative aims, and the context…
Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award Annual BBWAA award given to the most outstanding player in each of MLB's American and National Leagues, summarizing history, voting, notable winners, positional records, and contro…
Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award Annual award presented by the BBWAA to the top first-year player in each league; history, eligibility, notable winners and records explained.
Man of the Match An award given to the standout player in a single game. Common across team sports, it recognizes an individual performance and can be decided by officials, commentators, players, o…
Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Annual award presented by the Kennedy Center to outstanding figures in American comedy, recognizing a body of work in satire, stand-up, writing, and performance since 1998.
Marksmanship Ribbon (United States military) Marksmanship Ribbon A military ribbon awarded for demonstrated proficiency on weapons qualification courses; used by several U.S. services and some state National Guard organizations to recognize shoo…
Medal: definition, types, history, manufacture, and uses Medal A medal is a small metal object presented as an award or memento. This article outlines its form, materials, history, main types (military, civic, sporting, religious), manufacture…
Medal of Aeronautics (Médaille de l’Aéronautique) Medal of Aeronautics French civil decoration recognizing notable contributions to aviation, awarded to pilots, engineers, technicians and others who advanced aeronautical science, safety, industry or c…
Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor is the United States military's highest decoration, awarded for conspicuous gallantry and risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.
Memorial Cup: Championship of Canadian Major Junior Hockey Memorial Cup Annual tournament and trophy awarding the Canadian Hockey League champion; contested by the WHL, OHL, QMJHL champions and a host club in a short round‑robin event culminating in a…
Mercury Prize: UK and Ireland album award and cultural impact Mercury Prize Annual prize for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland, noted for eclectic shortlists, critical adjudication, and frequent influence on artists' commercial and cultura…
Merit Badge (Scouting Award) Merit badge A merit badge is a recognition awarded to Scouts for completing requirements in a specific subject. It encourages skills, exploration of interests, and is a core element of rank ad…
Miguel de Cervantes Prize Annual Spanish-language lifetime achievement award recognizing major contributions to literature in Castilian; presented with formal ceremony and financial and symbolic honours.
Military orders, decorations and awards Military orders, awards and decorations Overview of military decorations and orders: definitions, parts, history, award criteria, forms of recognition, wearing rules, and distinctions from civil honours and similar badge…
Most Faithful Majesty Honorific style used for the monarchs of Portugal, conferred by the pope and used in formal, diplomatic, and ceremonial contexts until the end of the monarchy.
Most Valuable Player Explanation of the Most Valuable Player (MVP) concept: definition, selection criteria, history, variants, uses beyond sports, and common debates about value and fairness.
MTV Movie Awards An annual, fan-voted awards show created by Joel Gallen celebrating popular film (and later television) moments with irreverent categories, sketches and the iconic Golden Popcorn t…
Music recording sales certification National award systems (gold, platinum, diamond) recognizing recorded-music sales and streams; criteria, formats and thresholds vary by country and format.
Nakahara Prize — Japanese Economic Association award for young economists Nakahara Prize Annual prize (since 1995) awarded by the Japanese Economic Association to Japanese economists under 45 for internationally recognized research; first woman winner in 2016 was Sagir…
National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award (NATSIAA) National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Art Award Annual Australian visual-arts competition, exhibition and prize for adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, founded in 1984 and widely known by its sponsor name, the T…
National Book Award Annual American literary prize, founded in 1950, honoring excellence in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and Young People's Literature and administered by the National Book Foundation.
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil Annual Indian national film award given to the best Tamil-language feature film, presented by the Directorate of Film Festivals with a Silver Lotus (Rajat Kamal) and other honours.
National Film Awards (Bangladesh) The National Film Awards are Bangladesh's principal government honors for cinematic achievement, presented annually to recognize artistic and technical excellence in Bangladeshi ci…
National Football League Most Valuable Player Award The NFL Most Valuable Player Award recognizes the player judged to have had the most outstanding season; various organizations issue MVP honors, with the Associated Press version w…
National Hockey League Awards Annual trophies and honors presented by the National Hockey League to recognize team and individual excellence, from the Stanley Cup to awards for MVP, scoring, goaltending, rookie…
National Medal of Science A presidential honor recognizing sustained, influential contributions to science and engineering across behavioral, social, biological, physical, mathematical and engineering disci…
NBA Most Valuable Player Award: history, selection, and notable winners NBA Most Valuable Player Award Annual NBA award honoring the regular-season most outstanding player since 1955–56, its voting method, trophy, historical milestones, notable record-holders and related distinction…
Nebula Award Annual literary awards presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for outstanding works of science fiction and fantasy, chosen by professional peers.
Nebula Award for Best Novel Annual award presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for an outstanding novel-length work of speculative fiction published the previous year.
Nebula Award for Best Short Story Annual prize presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for outstanding short fiction (typically under 7,500 words); a major recognition in science fiction and…
New Academy Prize in Literature (2018): a one‑time alternative to the Nobel New Academy Prize in Literature A one‑off literary award created in 2018 after the Nobel in Literature was postponed; finalists included Maryse Condé, Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami and Kim Thúy. The prize was awar…
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Annual film honors voted by New York–based critics, recognizing excellence in cinema and often shaping awards-season attention for American and international films.
Newbery Medal Annual American Library Association award for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature, recognizing authors of books published in the United States.
NHL All‑Star Team NHL All-Star Team Annual honorary teams recognizing the top NHL players by position at the end of each regular season, selected by votes from the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Annual, youth-voted awards show produced by Nickelodeon, known for slime, an orange blimp trophy and categories across film, TV, music, sports and digital media.
Nishan-e-Pakistan Pakistan’s highest civil decoration, instituted in 1957, awarded for exceptional service to the state or international relations; frequently conferred on foreign dignitaries and he…
NME Awards Annual British music awards founded by the magazine NME in 1953, noted for reader-voted categories, an alternative/indie emphasis, and a 1994 revival as the irreverent 'Brat Awards…
Nobel Prize International set of annual awards honoring contributions to science, literature, and peace, established by Alfred Nobel's will and administered by the Nobel Foundation.
Nora Marks Dauenhauer: Tlingit poet, scholar, and language preserver Nora Marks Dauenhauer Overview of Nora Marks Dauenhauer (1927–2017), a Tlingit poet, oral historian and language scholar from Alaska, her major works, collaborations, and contribution to preserving Tlin…
NXT Championship The NXT Championship is the primary men's singles title of WWE's NXT brand, presented as the top prize within that roster and regularly defended on NXT television and special event…
NXT Women's Championship A women's professional wrestling title contested on WWE's NXT brand, representing top female performers on WWE's developmental and brand-stage programming.
Order of Australia Australia's principal national honour, created in 1975 to recognise outstanding achievement and service across civilian and military life; appointments are made twice yearly on pub…
Order of Canada A principal Canadian civilian honour established in 1967 to recognize outstanding lifetime achievement, service to community and contribution to the nation, with three ranks and an…
Order of Jamaica A Jamaican national honour instituted in 1969, awarded to citizens and foreign nationals for distinguished service; members take the style 'The Honourable' and use the post-nominal…
Order of Lenin Highest civilian and state decoration of the Soviet Union, awarded for outstanding service to the state, military merit, scientific and cultural achievements, and fostering peace a…
