IAEA Director General Receives Nuclear Statesman Award

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."