International Award
An IOV distinction recorded through its object and recipients.
Established in 1984, the International Award recognises exceptional service to folk culture and the safeguarding of living heritage. This page presents the medal specifications and the recipient records currently published by IOV World.
Medal specification
The award as an object
The physical details below are retained as part of the published institutional record.
- Material
- 18-karat gold
- Weight
- 150.67 grams
- Chain
- 70 centimetres
- First awarded
- 1984
History note
Two dates anchor the record
- 1984
The International Award is established
The first award listed in the published recipient register dates to 1984.
- 2016
The award is revived in Bergamo
The award was revived at the 2016 World General Assembly in Bergamo under President Ali Abdullah Khalifa's “Time for Change” initiative.
Recipient register
Published recipients
The entries below reproduce the names, offices and award years currently available in the IOV website record.
| Year | Recipient | Office |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Habib Bourguiba | OfficePresident of Tunisia |
| 1987 | Kurt Waldheim | OfficePresident of Austria; former Secretary-General of the United Nations |
| 2019 | H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi | OfficeRuler of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates |
Official nomination information
Request the current procedure before preparing a nomination.
A complete nomination procedure is not published on this page. The IOV secretariat can provide the current official guidance.