The 2016 Nansen Refugee Award Ceremony

The 2016 Nansen Refugee Award ceremony will take place on Monday 3 October 2016 at the Bâtiment Des Forces Motrices in Geneva. The event is not open to the general public however please check the UNHCR social media channels for live updates.

This year we are thrilled to announce Neshan Der Haroutiounian as our new Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Neshan has earned himself Pan-Arab recognition through his innovative work with several TV networks. A UNHCR supporter, Neshan has visited refugees in his native Lebanon, Iraq and latterly to meet our Nansen winners in Greece.

The ceremony is organized by UNHCR in cooperation with the Government of Switzerland, Government of Norway and the Norwegian Refugee Council, the State Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, the Administrative Council of the City of Geneva and the IKEA Foundation.

Invitations have been sent to high-level ministers and senior diplomats attending UNHCR’s annual Executive Committee meeting; local and national Swiss authorities; heads of partner humanitarian agencies; UNHCR corporate partners; UNHCR staff; and invited members of the media. The deadline for registering for a ticket is Friday, 23 September.

Join the conversation – follow @refugees on Twitter or join FacebookLive.

2016 Ceremony performers and artists

Neshan Der Haroutiounian

Neshan has earned himself Pan-Arab recognition through his innovative work with several TV networks: In 2012, Google ranked Neshan as the "top trending celebrity" in Egypt following his Ramadan show on Al Hayat TV, and the MTV. Neshan became a UNHCR supporter in 2014 and has visited refugees in his native Lebanon and also in Iraq.

Baaba Maal

An icon of West African music, cultural warrior, Senegalese singer Baaba Maal has achieved global recognition and acclaim. He has performed for heads of state and been nominated for a Grammy award. He is also internationally renowned for his commitment to development in Africa, and has endeavoured to draw attention to issues including; women's rights, AIDS, climate change, the importance of aid and the African food crisis.

Emtithal (Emi) Mahmoud

Born in Darfur, Sudan and raised in Philadelphia, Emtithal (Emi) Mahmoud is the reigning World Poetry Slam Champion of 2015 and the Women of the World co-Champion of 2016. She is the youngest and first person to hold both titles concurrently. Emi travelled to Lesvos in June 2016 to record a creative social media project with UNHCR to support the Nansen Refugee Award.

Lyse Doucet

Lyse Doucet is the BBC's Chief International Correspondent who is regularly deployed to cover major world stories, interviews world leaders, and reports across the BBC's domestic and global outlets. Lyse spent 15 years as a BBC foreign correspondent with postings in Jerusalem, Amman, Islamabad, Tehran, Kabul and Abidjan. She was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Honours list in 2014 for her services to broadcasting and the Columbia Journalism Award for lifetime achievement in 2016.

The Grey People

The "Grey People" are a collaboration of professional dancers based in Stockholm, Sweden which recently attracted international attention with their performance during the Eurovision Song Contest. "We want to get people to stop and think," said show producer Sven Stojanovic. The performance, named Grey People, tells the story of people fleeing across land and sea, hoping to reach a safer place.