The IAEA Director General has been granted the Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award - for outstanding service in developing and guiding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
Rafael Mariano Grossi accepted the award at the American Nuclear Society's Winter Conference in Florida yesterday.
The award is given to one person every year who has been widely recognized for their "statesmanlike contributions to the many aspects of nuclear energy".
Previous winners include Nobel laureates as well as two former IAEA directors general, Sigvard Eklund and Hans Blix, who won in 1976 and 1988 respectively.
The award is jointly presented by the ANS and the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).
NEI's president Maria Korsnick listed previous high-profile winners in her address and said: "This years' awardee is equally distinguished and equally a champion for nuclear energy, science and technology."
ANS Vice President Hashem Hashemian agreed, calling the Director General "truly a champion for world peace, nuclear security and safety."
He added: "He is also one of the hardest working people I know. Just over the last seven days he has been to Iran, he has been to COP29 and he is now here."
Honored to receive the Henry DeWolf Smyth Nuclear Statesman Award at @ANS_org's #ANSWinter2024 in Orlando today.
To stand among the remarkable individuals previously awarded is both an honor and a reminder of nuclear's role in addressing humanity's greatest needs. pic.twitter.com/GFbEawwB4i
— Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) November 18, 2024
The award is named after Henry DeWolf Smyth, who has a long history with the IAEA, having served as a principal advisor to President Dwight Eisenhower in preparing his famous Atoms for Peace speech in 1953.
Later, President John F. Kennedy appointed Smyth as the representative of the United States to the IAEA, and he played a crucial role in the adoption of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, before retiring in 1970.
Following the award ceremony, the Director General visited St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, which has been providing clean energy to more than a million homes in the region for more than 45 years.
