The government and Mr de Brum have been named 2016 Arms Control Persons of the Year after taking the nuclear-armed nations to court for violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
They were among ten individuals and groups nominated by the Washington-based Arms Control Association for their leadership on disarmament.
The award comes despite rulings by the International Court of Justice in The Hague in October which went against the Marshall Islands.
The court upheld the nuclear states' arguments that the court lacked jurisdiction on the matter.
