Awards

Righteous Among the Nations Honorific awarded by Yad Vashem (Israel) to non-Jews who risked their lives to rescue Jews during the Holocaust; criteria, history, examples, and memorials are explained.

Rinpoche: Tibetan Buddhist Honorific and Its Uses Rinpoche Rinpoche, meaning 'precious one', is an honorific in Tibetan Buddhism applied to revered teachers, reincarnate masters, and sacred figures across Himalayan cultures.

Ronald Reagan Freedom Award A civilian honor established by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation to recognize individuals with sustained, monumental contributions to freedom and human dignity worldwide.

Royal Medal (Royal Society award) Royal Medal A silver-gilt medal awarded annually by the Royal Society since 1826. Three are given each year for excellence in fundamental and applied research carried out within the Commonweal…

Royal Order of the Seraphim A Swedish royal order of chivalry founded in 1748. Awarded to members of the royal family, foreign heads of state and distinguished persons; presented at formal state occasions.

Royal Victorian Order A dynastic British order of knighthood created by Queen Victoria in 1896 to recognise personal service to the sovereign. It is awarded at the monarch’s personal discretion and incl…

Royal Warrant A royal warrant is a formal authorization from a royal household permitting a supplier to advertise that it supplies goods or services to a member of that household, traditionally…

Satellite Award for Best Costume Design Annual film award from the International Press Academy that honors outstanding achievement in costume design, recognizing designers across period, contemporary and genre filmmaking…

Satellite Awards Annual honors presented by the International Press Academy recognizing excellence in film, television and emerging media; originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.

Saturn Award Annual awards presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films honoring excellence in genre film, television and home entertainment since 1972.

Screen Actors Guild Award Annual peer‑voted awards from the Screen Actors Guild recognizing outstanding film and television performances; notable for the bronze statuette nicknamed “The Actor.”

Sidewise Awards for Alternate History Sidewise Award for Alternate History Annual literary prizes, established in 1995, honoring excellence in alternate history short and long-form fiction. Named after Murray Leinster's "Sidewise in Time", judged by a rot…

Silver medal (second-place award) Silver medal A silver medal is the award customarily given to the runner-up in many contests. This entry explains its purpose, materials and design, historical development, awarding rules, and…

Silver Medal of Military Valor Italian decoration established in 1833 for acts of military bravery. Awarded to servicemembers and civilians for conspicuous courage in combat and resistance, it sits between the g…

Silver Star Medal: United States military decoration for gallantry Silver Star The Silver Star Medal is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest combat decoration, awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy and presented to eligible military person…

Special Achievement Award (Academy Awards) Special Achievement Academy Award An irregular Academy Award given to honor exceptional film work that does not fit an existing competitive category, often recognizing technical, artistic, or pioneering achievement…

Spingarn Medal Annual NAACP award honoring outstanding achievement by an African American, created in 1914 by Joel Elias Spingarn and first given in 1915 to Ernest E. Just.

Standing Ovation: Meaning, Contexts, and Cultural Significance Standing ovation A standing ovation is an audience response in which people rise and applaud to honor a performance, achievement, or person. This article explains its forms, social meanings, histor…

Stanley Cup (NHL championship trophy) Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup is the oldest major professional sports trophy in North America, awarded each year to the NHL playoff champion; it carries engraved names and many traditions dating…

Sully Prudhomme: French poet, essayist, and first Nobel laureate in literature Sully Prudhomme René François Armand (Sully) Prudhomme (1839–1907) was a French poet and essayist known for restrained, philosophical verse. He received the first Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901…

Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award Annual award given to the most outstanding player in the NFL's Super Bowl; covers selection, history, notable winners, and its significance in player legacies.

Supporters' Shield (MLS regular-season trophy) Supporters' Shield The Supporters' Shield is presented to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular-season points total. Established in 1999, it recognizes consistent performance across the…

Sylvania Awards Sylvania Award Television awards presented by Sylvania Electric Products (1951–1959) honoring programs, performers, writers and technical achievements in early American television.

Teen Choice Awards Annual awards show celebrating achievements in music, film, TV and sports as voted by teens; known for its surfboard trophies, live performances and youth-oriented categories.

Tejano Music Awards Annual San Antonio awards honoring Tejano music and artists since 1980, recognizing recordings, performers, and cultural contributions that shape the genre.

The Right Honourable — an honorific style in the Commonwealth The Right Honourable Overview of the honorific prefix “The Right Honourable”: its meaning, forms, historical basis, who receives it in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth juri…

Tiffany Cross Medal of Honor A short-lived U.S. Navy variant of the Medal of Honor introduced after World War I, the Tiffany Cross was a cross-shaped pendant produced by Tiffany & Co. for recognizing combat ga…

Time's Person of the Year Time Person of the Year Overview of Time magazine's annual Person of the Year: origin, selection principles, notable and controversial choices, historical significance, and variations since 1927.

Titles of European Royal Heirs Overview of traditional and modern titles used by heirs to European thrones, their origins, meanings, and how succession rules and national customs shape those ranks.

Tony Award (Antoinette Perry Award) — honors for achievement in American theatre Tony Award The Tony Award (Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) recognizes achievement in live American stage work, especially Broadway plays and musicals. It covers eligibility,…

Tony Award for Best Musical Annual Broadway prize presented to the producers of the season's outstanding new musical, first awarded in 1949. Recognizes artistic achievement, commercial impact, and long‑term c…

Tony Award for Best Play Annual Broadway prize honoring the season's most distinguished new play; history, eligibility, notable winners, and its role in American theatre.

Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing Prestige earned by a three-year-old Thoroughbred that wins the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in the same year.

Trophy: forms, history, and cultural significance Trophy An overview of trophies — objects awarded for achievement. Covers common forms, materials, historical origins, uses in sport and culture, and ethical or symbolic issues surrounding…

ACM A.M. Turing Award Turing Award Annual prize from the Association for Computing Machinery honoring major technical contributions to computing; widely regarded as the highest distinction in computer science.

Varsity letter An overview of the varsity letter (monogram), its appearance, criteria, history in school athletics and activities, and how it is worn and valued in American secondary and collegia…

Venerable Order of Saint John — history, organization and charitable work Venerable Order of Saint John A royal order of chivalry founded in 1831, the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem promotes medical relief and first aid through St John Ambulance and o…

Veronika Marchenko — Russian human rights activist, 2009 awardee Veronika Marchenko Veronika Marchenko is a Russian human rights activist honored in 2009 with the U.S. State Department's International Women of Courage Award for her advocacy on behalf of victims of…

Vezina Trophy Annual National Hockey League award presented to the season's best goaltender, named for Georges Vézina. Winners are chosen by NHL general managers; the fewest-goals distinction is…

Victoria Cross (VC) Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration for valour in the face of the enemy awarded to members of British and Commonwealth forces. Instituted in 1856, it remains the…

Victoria Cross for Australia Australia's highest military decoration for valour in the presence of the enemy, instituted as the Australian variant of the Victoria Cross and first awarded in its current form in…

Wakker Prize: Swiss award for municipal heritage conservation Wakker Prize Annual Swiss Heritage Society award recognizing outstanding preservation, development and integration of historic buildings and urban fabric by municipalities and institutions sinc…

Wiener Werkstattpreis — Austrian literary prize for emerging writers Wiener Werkstattpreis An Austrian literary prize established in 1992 to support emerging writers. Awarded annually since 2000 across categories such as short story, poetry and essay; organized by FZA an…

Wolf Prize International Israeli-based award established in 1978 recognizing outstanding achievements in Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics and the Arts.

World Music Awards World Music Award International awards show honoring recording artists for global sales, founded in 1989 and known for recognizing commercial success rather than jury votes.

World record: definition, verification, history and significance World record What a world record is, how records are categorized and verified, key publishers and organizations, historical background, uses, and common controversies.

World War I Victory Medal (United States) United States service medal awarded to military personnel for service during World War I; notable for James Earle Fraser's design, the rainbow ribbon, and inter‑Allied concept.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards Annual awards presented by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, created by Dave Meltzer, recognizing achievements, matches, and promotions in professional wrestling as determined by…