Nominations for the 2025 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award: Recognizing Outstanding Dedication and Service for Refugees

Nomination Deadline: 07 April 2025 (midnight CET)

Background
The UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award is given annually to an individual, group or organization that has shown outstanding dedication and service to people forced to flee their homes or people who are stateless. Since 2017, we have also recognized several regional winners each year. Learn about past winners at UNHCR Nansen Award.

Nominations
Anyone may nominate a candidate for the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award. If you nominated someone in the past but they did not win, you may nominate them again.

The strongest nominations will provide a detailed account of the candidate’s work and results for displaced or stateless people, as well as three solid references to vouch for their character and impact. References should not all come from the same organization or group.

Please note that self-nominations are strongly discouraged. Current or former UNHCR employees are not eligible.
The deadline to submit nominations is midnight CET, 07 April 2025. Late submissions will not be considered.

Selection criteria

• Candidates may be individuals, groups or organizations.
• Their work must have a direct and positive impact on the lives of forcibly displaced or stateless people.
• Their work relates to a major displacement situation or issue.
• This year we especially encourage nominations that relate to climate, sports, sustainable solutions and inclusions but we are open to other themes.
• They devote substantial time and effort to support forcibly displaced or stateless people, going above and beyond the call of duty and outside their expected role.
• They have the capacity to successfully implement a suitable project with the prize money (US$100,000 for the global laureate, US$25,000 for regional winners).
• They have three strong references.

Selection process 

• The global laureate and regional winners are chosen by an independent Selection Committee.
• The selection process remains strictly confidential, and no information regarding the status of your nomination will be released.
• The 2025 global laureate and regional winners will be announced in late 2025.

Click here for Nomination form 

For any questions, please write to the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award Team at nansen@unhcr.org.