Brandon, good question about awards, and the Nobel. There are also the math "Nobels" called the Field medal, and I think the Kyoto award in philosophy.  But subjectivity seems to underlie awards. Remember that the Nobel Prize came about "accidentally"???   Alfred Nobel invented dynamite. Ok. The Nobel price would not exist, as I understand it, if an obituary accidentally was published saying Alfred Nobel died, the inventor of dynamite. Alfred did not want to be known as the inventor of dynamite, so gave money to have a Peace Prize awarded. Get it??  Dynamite destroys, peace makes things peaceful.  Hey, if I invented a sniper's rifle, dynamite, any weapon with which a nation defends itself, I would not hesitate to note that I was the inventor. So, Alfred became seriously disappointed to be known as dynamite inventor.  Hmmm.  Um. Well, Uhh,  If he is disappointed in being known as dynamite inventor, then why invent something of which you are not proud. You invent something, and then are not proud to publicize it???   What am I missing?  If I invented the switchblade, part of the atom bomb, part of the H-bomb, I would not mind people knowing it.  The only thing keeping me from admitting inventing it, would be the U.S. Government warning me to not disclose it if it were classified top secret. I clearly would not tell people if I invented a security system for the Pentagon, CIA, White House, for FBI Headquarters. And, I definitely would not tell people of a police procedure for finding spies, serial killers, bank robbers, etc. 

Michael M. Kazanjian