INTERNATIONAL AWARDS FOPR UPSC CSE 2025

11th March, 2025

What are these awards?

International awards serve as benchmark of excellence recognizing outstanding achievements in various fields including science, literature, business, sports & humanitarian efforts. These prestigious honors not only celebrate individual & organizational accomplishments but also inspire future generations to strive for innovation & excellence.

In this blog APTI PLUS best coaching for UPSC explore significance of international awards, their impact on different sectors & some of notable global accolades across various domains.

Why Are International Awards Important?

  1. Recognition of Excellence
    International awards acknowledge & validate contributions of individuals & organizations. Winning or even being nominated for an esteemed award enhances credibility & reputation.
  2. Encouragement for Innovation
    Many awards focus on groundbreaking discoveries & innovations. For example Nobel Prize in Physics has historically recognized pioneering research that has transformed our understanding of universe.
  3. Inspiration for Future Generations
    Award winners become role models inspiring aspiring professionals in their respective fields to pursue excellence. Young scientists, writers & artists often look up to award recipients for motivation.
  4. Global Prestige & Influence
    Prestigious international awards bring global attention to individuals & causes amplifying their influence. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for example may gain larger audience & greater impact.
  5. Financial & Professional Benefits
    Many awards come with monetary prizes, research grants or sponsorship opportunities that enable further contributions to field. The Fields Medal in mathematics for instance provides platform for young mathematicians to advance their research.

Categories of International Awards

  1. Science & Technology Awards

Award Name

Field

Established

Frequency

Eligibility

Selection Criteria

Notable Recipients

Impact

Nobel Prize (Physics, Chemistry, Medicine)

Science & Medicine

1901

Annual

Individuals & teams making significant discoveries

Innovations with global impact, peer-reviewed research

Albert Einstein (Physics), Marie Curie (Chemistry), Alexander Fleming (Medicine)

Recognized as  pinnacle of scientific achievement

Turing Award

Computer Science

1966

Annual

Researchers in computer science

Contributions to theoretical & practical computing

Tim Berners-Lee (World Wide Web), Alan Kay (Object-Oriented Programming)

Known as  "Nobel Prize of Computing"

Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Biotechnology & Medicine

2012

Annual

Researchers in biological sciences

Innovative research in genetics, cell biology, & medicine

Jennifer Doudna & Emmanuelle Charpentier (CRISPR)

Largest cash award for life sciences

Fields Medal

Mathematics

1936

Every 4 years

Mathematicians under 40

Outstanding discoveries in mathematics

Terence Tao, Maryam Mirzakhani

The highest honor in mathematics

Lasker Awards

Medical Research

1945

Annual

Biomedical researchers

Contributions that advance healthcare

Anthony Fauci (Immunology), Katalin Karikó (mRNA)

Many winners later receive  Nobel Prize

Wolf Prize

Science & Mathematics

1978

Annual

Scientists worldwide

Excellence in fundamental research

Stephen Hawking (Physics), Edward Witten (Mathematics)

Recognized as a precursor to  Nobel Prize

Templeton Prize

Science & Spirituality

1972

Annual

Scientists, philosophers, theologians

Advancing knowledge in science, spirituality, & meaning

Mother Teresa, Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall

One of  highest honors for work at  intersection of science & faith

2. Literature & Journalism Awards

Award Name

Field

Established

Frequency

Eligibility

Selection Criteria

Notable Recipients

Impact

Nobel Prize in Literature

Literature

1901

Annual

Writers of fiction, poetry, essays

Body of work with lasting literary impact

Ernest Hemingway, Gabriel García Márquez

Honors authors shaping global literature

Pulitzer Prize

Journalism, Literature

1917

Annual

Journalists, novelists, poets

Investigative reporting, fiction, poetry

The Washington Post (Watergate), Toni Morrison (Fiction)

Recognized as  highest honor in journalism

Man Booker Prize

Fiction

1969

Annual

Authors writing in English

Literary excellence & originality

Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood

Elevates authors to global prominence

International Booker Prize

Fiction (Translation)

2005

Annual

Books translated into English

Literary excellence of non-English books

Olga Tokarczuk, Han Kang

Recognizes global literary talent

Golden Nica (Prix Ars Electronica)

Digital Arts

1987

Annual

Digital & electronic artists

Innovation in storytelling & technology

AI-Generated Literature, Digital Pioneers

Recognizes leaders in digital literature

3. Film, Music, & Performing Arts Awards

Award Name

Field

Established

Frequency

Eligibility

Selection Criteria

Notable Recipients

Impact

Academy Awards (Oscars)

Film

1929

Annual

Filmmakers worldwide

Best performances, direction, screenplay

Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep

Sets industry benchmarks for filmmaking

Cannes Film Festival (Palme d'Or)

Film

1946

Annual

Feature films

Artistic excellence in storytelling

Quentin Tarantino, Bong Joon-ho

Recognized as  most prestigious film festival

BAFTA Awards

Film & TV

1947

Annual

British & international films

Technical & performance excellence

Christopher Nolan, Olivia Colman

UK’s equivalent of  Oscars

Grammy Awards

Music

1959

Annual

Global musicians

Excellence in music production & performance

Beyoncé, The Beatles

The highest honor in music

Tony Awards

Theater & Broadway

1947

Annual

Live theater actors & creators

Best stage performances, directing, & design

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lin-Manuel Miranda

Recognizes Broadway excellence

4. Business, Leadership, & Economic Awards

Award Name

Field

Established

Frequency

Eligibility

Selection Criteria

Notable Recipients

Impact

Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences

Economics

1968

Annual

Economists

Research transforming global policies

Amartya Sen, Paul Krugman

Shapes international economic thought

Fortune 500 & Forbes Global 2000

Business Rankings

1955

Annual

Corporations worldwide

Financial performance, market impact

Apple, Tesla, Amazon

Defines corporate success & global influence

EY Entrepreneur of  Year

Business Leadership

1986

Annual

Entrepreneurs

Vision, growth, & innovation

Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos

Honors top business visionaries

UNCTAD Investment Promotion Awards

Foreign Investment

2002

Annual

Investment agencies

Success in attracting FDI

Invest India, Singapore EDB

Recognizes excellence in economic development

5. Sports & Athletics Awards

Award Name

Field

Established

Frequency

Eligibility

Selection Criteria

Notable Recipients

Impact

Olympic Gold Medal

Multi-Sport

1896

Every 4 years

Athletes worldwide

Athletic performance

Usain Bolt, Simone Biles

The ultimate sports honor

Ballon d’Or

Football

1956

Annual

Football players

Best performance in a season

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo

Most prestigious football award

Laureus World Sports Awards

Multi-Sport

2000

Annual

Athletes worldwide

Sporting excellence & social impact

Roger Federer, Serena Williams

Recognizes top athletes globally

6. Peace, Humanitarianism & Global Change Awards

Award Name

Field

Established

Frequency

Eligibility

Selection Criteria

Notable Recipients

Impact

Nobel Peace Prize

Peace & Diplomacy

1901

Annual

Individuals & organizations

Efforts in diplomacy, peace, & justice

Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai

Recognized as  highest honor for peace efforts

Ramon Magsaysay Award

Public Service & Leadership

1957

Annual

Leaders in public service & social work

Transformational impact on society

Mother Teresa, Arvind Kejriwal

Known as "Asia’s Nobel Prize"

Right Livelihood Award

Human Rights & Sustainability

1980

Annual

Activists & NGOs

Grassroots solutions for global problems

Greta Thunberg, Amnesty International

Known as  "Alternative Nobel Prize"

Earthshot Prize

Environmental Innovation

2020

Annual

Sustainability innovators

Solutions tackling climate change

Climate Scientists & Eco-Tech Innovators

Funds environmental solutions globally

Winners List

APTI PLUS IAS Academy in Kolkata renowned for its comprehensive & tailored coaching approach provides below the list of winners of major awards that will equip aspirants with the knowledge needed to excel in UPSC exam.

1. Academy Awards (Oscars) 2025

Category

Winner

Film

Best Picture

Anora

-

Best Director

Sean Baker

Anora

Best Actor

Adrien Brody

The Brutalist

Best Actress

Mikey Madison

Anora

Best Supporting Actor

Kieran Culkin

A Real Pain

Best Supporting Actress

Zoe Saldaña

Emilia Pérez

Academy Awards (Oscars) 2024

Category

Winner

Film

Best Picture

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan

Best Director

Christopher Nolan

Oppenheimer

Best Actor

Cillian Murphy

Oppenheimer

Best Actress

Emma Stone

Poor Things

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr.

Oppenheimer

Best Supporting Actress

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

The Holdovers

2. British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) 2025

Category

Winner

Film

Best Film

Conclave

-

Outstanding British Film

Anora

-

Best Director

Sean Baker

Anora

Best Actor

Adrien Brody

The Brutalist

Best Actress

Mikey Madison

Anora

British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) 2024

Category

Winner

Film

Best Film

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan

Best Director

Christopher Nolan

Oppenheimer

Best Actor

Cillian Murphy

Oppenheimer

Best Actress

Emma Stone

Poor Things

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr.

Oppenheimer

Best Supporting Actress

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

The Holdovers

3. Grammy Awards 2025

Category

Winner

Album/Song

Album of the Year

Beyoncé

Cowboy Carter

Record of the Year

Kendrick Lamar

Not Like Us

Song of the Year

Kendrick Lamar

Not Like Us

Best New Artist

Chappell Roan

-

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars

Die With a Smile

Grammy Awards 2024

Category

Winner

Work

Album of  Year

Taylor Swift

Midnights

Record of  Year

Miley Cyrus

Flowers

Song of  Year

Billie Eilish

What Was I Made For?

Best New Artist

Victoria Monét

-

4.Nobel Prizes 2024

Category

Winner

Contribution

Physiology/Medicine

Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman

Pioneering research on mRNA technology, which led to  rapid development of mRNA vaccines used globally to combat COVID-19. Their work revolutionized vaccine development.

Physics

Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, Anne L'Huillier

Their research on attosecond physics explores  behavior of electrons on an incredibly fast time scale, leading to advancements in  study of molecular & atomic systems.

Chemistry

Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, Alexei Ekimov

Discovery of quantum dots, which are nanometer-sized semiconductor particles with unique optical & electronic properties, leading to advancements in technology & medicine.

Literature

Jon Fosse

Fosse’s contributions to Norwegian literature, with a focus on existential & humanist themes, earned him this prestigious award.

Peace Prize

Narges Mohammadi

Iranian human rights advocate known for her efforts in fighting for women’s rights in Iran, especially in  face of oppression & harsh government crackdowns.

Economics

Claudia Goldin

Goldin’s extensive research on women’s role in  labor market, uncovering systemic barriers &  history of gender disparities in employment.

5. Booker Prize 2024

Category

Winner

Book

Contribution

Booker Prize

Paul Lynch

Prophet Song

A powerful, emotionally rich narrative set in Ireland, exploring themes of family, survival, & societal challenges through a deeply personal lens.

6. International Booker Prize 2024

Category

Winner

Book

Contribution

International Booker Prize

Jenny Erpenbeck

Kairos

Erpenbeck's Kairos examines  complexities of love, time, & loss, set against  backdrop of historical upheaval. The novel deeply explores  intertwining of personal & political history.

7. Pulitzer Prize 2024

Category

Winner

Contribution

Public Service

The New York Times

Investigative reporting on  climate crisis, bringing attention to  global environmental emergency &  impacts of climate change.

Investigative Reporting

The Washington Post

Exposing municipal corruption, with deep reporting uncovering  systemic issues within local governments, challenging entrenched power.

Fiction

Justin Torres

Blackouts, a novel that explores  experiences of a young Latino man as he navigates love, identity, & hardship during a city-wide power outage.

8. Fields Medal 2024

Winner

Contribution

To be announced in July 2026

The Fields Medal is awarded for outstanding achievements in mathematics, &  announcement for 2024 will occur in July 2026. The most recent winner of  Fields Medal (2022) was Maryna Viazovska, a Ukrainian mathematician. She was awarded  Fields Medal for her groundbreaking work in  field of packing problems. Specifically, she solved  problem of packing spheres in 8 dimensions, known as  sphere-packing problem in dimension 8, which had been unsolved for more than a century.

9. Ballon d'Or 2024

Category

Winner

Club/National Team

Men's Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi

Inter Miami / Argentina

Women's Ballon d'Or

Aitana Bonmatí

Barcelona / Spain

10. Ramon Magsaysay Award 2024

Category

Winner

Contribution

Public Service

Eugenio Lemos

Lemos’s work in environmental & sustainable agriculture focusing on creating long-term solutions to ecological challenges particularly in  Philippines.

Government Service

Dr. Ravi Kannan

Dr. Kannan’s contribution to cancer care in rural India providing accessible, affordable treatment to underserved populations.

Conclusion

International awards set  standard for excellence across industries from scientific breakthroughs to artistic brilliance, business leadership, & global peace efforts. They influence careers, shape industries, & inspire generations to push  boundaries of human achievement.

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