RUSI Awards and Prizes

We've been recognising influential thinkers for their contribution to the practice and understanding of defence and security since 1831.

RUSI awards the following prizes in recognition of excellence.

Chesney Gold Medal

The Chesney Gold Medal is the highest award in the gift of the Council of the Royal United Services Institute.

The medal is awarded to mark a life-long distinguished contribution to international defence and security, to the benefit of the United Kingdom and/or the international community. It was first awarded in 1900 to Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan of the US Navy, and recipients since have included Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Dr Henry Kissinger, among others.

View the awards

The Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History

The Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History aims to reward on an annual basis the best English language writing on military history, interpreted widely to include the role of the armed forces, the conduct of wars, and the impact of conflict on nations and societies, over any period up to the present day.

View the annual awards