diff --git a/src/collections/users/Profiles.ts b/src/collections/users/Profiles.ts
index dade91f..ea0e2f2 100644
--- a/src/collections/users/Profiles.ts
+++ b/src/collections/users/Profiles.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { CollectionConfig } from "payload";
 import { Award } from "@/payload-types";
 import { broadcastToUser } from "@/lib/realtime/bus";
+import { notifyAwardGrants } from "@/lib/awards";
 import { requirePermission, hasPermission } from "@/utils/access-control/hasPermission";
 
 export const Profiles: CollectionConfig = {
@@ -32,6 +33,9 @@ export const Profiles: CollectionConfig = {
           broadcastToUser("profile-update", userId, { profileId: doc.id });
         }
       },
+      async ({ doc, previousDoc, req }) => {
+        await notifyAwardGrants(req.payload, previousDoc, doc);
+      },
     ],
   },
   fields: [
diff --git a/src/lib/awards/index.ts b/src/lib/awards/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc7fbc2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/awards/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+import type { Award, Profile } from "@/payload-types";
+import { notifyUser } from "@/lib/notifications";
+
+type PayloadType = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof import("payload").getPayload>>;
+
+/** A single row in `profile.progression.awards`. */
+export interface AwardGrantEntry {
+  id?: string | null;
+  award: number | Award;
+  awardedBy?: number | null | Profile;
+  awardedAt: string;
+  awardReason?: string | null;
+}
+
+interface ProgressionDoc {
+  progression?: { awards?: AwardGrantEntry[] | null } | null;
+}
+
+/** Extract the numeric award id from a grant entry, populated or not. */
+function awardIdOf(entry: AwardGrantEntry): number | null {
+  const award = entry.award;
+  if (typeof award === "number") return award;
+  if (award && typeof award.id === "number") return award.id;
+  return null;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Stable identity key for a grant row: the generated row id when present,
+ * otherwise a composite of award id + issue date. The admin UI preserves row
+ * ids when editing existing rows, so reason-only edits never count as new
+ * grants; the composite fallback covers docs whose rows carry no id.
+ */
+function keyOf(entry: AwardGrantEntry): string {
+  if (entry.id) return `row:${entry.id}`;
+  return `aw:${awardIdOf(entry) ?? "?"}:${entry.awardedAt}`;
+}
+
+function countKeys(entries: AwardGrantEntry[]): Map<string, number> {
+  const counts = new Map<string, number>();
+  for (const entry of entries) {
+    const key = keyOf(entry);
+    counts.set(key, (counts.get(key) ?? 0) + 1);
+  }
+  return counts;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Return the grant rows present in `after` but not in `before`. Multiset
+ * diff — re-granting the same award twice is two grants.
+ */
+export function diffGrantedAwards(
+  before: ProgressionDoc | null | undefined,
+  after: ProgressionDoc | null | undefined,
+): AwardGrantEntry[] {
+  const beforeCounts = countKeys(before?.progression?.awards ?? []);
+  const seen = new Map<string, number>();
+  const granted: AwardGrantEntry[] = [];
+  for (const entry of after?.progression?.awards ?? []) {
+    const key = keyOf(entry);
+    const seenCount = seen.get(key) ?? 0;
+    seen.set(key, seenCount + 1);
+    if (seenCount >= (beforeCounts.get(key) ?? 0)) granted.push(entry);
+  }
+  return granted;
+}
+
+/** Resolve the display name of the profile that issued a grant, if any. */
+async function issuerLabel(
+  payload: PayloadType,
+  awardedBy: AwardGrantEntry["awardedBy"],
+): Promise<string | null> {
+  let profileId: number | null = null;
+  if (typeof awardedBy === "number") profileId = awardedBy;
+  else if (awardedBy && typeof awardedBy === "object" && typeof awardedBy.id === "number") {
+    profileId = awardedBy.id;
+  }
+  if (!profileId) return null;
+
+  try {
+    const issuerProfile = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: "profiles",
+      id: profileId,
+      depth: 1,
+      overrideAccess: true,
+    });
+    const userRef = (issuerProfile as unknown as { user?: number | { id?: number } | null }).user;
+    const userId = typeof userRef === "object" ? userRef?.id : userRef;
+    if (typeof userId !== "number") return null;
+
+    const issuer = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: "users",
+      id: userId,
+      depth: 0,
+      overrideAccess: true,
+    });
+    const user = issuer as unknown as { displayName?: string | null; username?: string };
+    return user.displayName || user.username || null;
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Notify the profile owner about award rows added since the previous save.
+ * Called from the Profiles afterChange hook; never throws — a notification
+ * failure must not break the admin's save.
+ */
+export async function notifyAwardGrants(
+  payload: PayloadType,
+  previousDoc: Profile | null | undefined,
+  doc: Profile,
+): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const newEntries = diffGrantedAwards(previousDoc, doc);
+    if (newEntries.length === 0) return;
+
+    const userId = typeof doc.user === "object" ? doc.user?.id : doc.user;
+    if (typeof userId !== "number") return;
+
+    const awardIds = [
+      ...new Set(newEntries.map(awardIdOf).filter((id): id is number => id !== null)),
+    ];
+    let awards: Award[] = [];
+    if (awardIds.length > 0) {
+      const res = await payload.find({
+        collection: "awards",
+        where: { id: { in: awardIds } },
+        depth: 0,
+        overrideAccess: true,
+      });
+      awards = res.docs;
+    }
+
+    const user = (await payload.findByID({
+      collection: "users",
+      id: userId,
+      depth: 0,
+      overrideAccess: true,
+    })) as unknown as { username?: string };
+    const link = user?.username ? `/profile/${user.username}` : undefined;
+
+    for (const entry of newEntries) {
+      const awardId = awardIdOf(entry);
+      const award = awards.find((a) => a.id === awardId);
+
+      const parts: string[] = [];
+      if (entry.awardReason) parts.push(entry.awardReason);
+      const issuer = await issuerLabel(payload, entry.awardedBy);
+      parts.push(issuer ? `Issued by ${issuer}.` : "On behalf of the unit.");
+
+      await notifyUser(payload, {
+        userId,
+        type: "award:granted",
+        title: `Award received: ${award?.name ?? "an award"}`,
+        message: parts.join(" "),
+        link,
+      });
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error("[Awards] Failed to send award-grant notifications:", err);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib/notifications/index.ts b/src/lib/notifications/index.ts
index 148fb51..0efe2fd 100644
--- a/src/lib/notifications/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/notifications/index.ts
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ export function notificationLabel(type?: string | null): string {
       return "Listing sold";
     case "market:expired":
       return "Listing expired";
+    case "award:granted":
+      return "Award received";
     case "account:discord-request":
       return "Discord request";
     case "finance:deposit":
diff --git a/src/lib/notifications/notificationTypes.ts b/src/lib/notifications/notificationTypes.ts
index a60cb2a..85ef832 100644
--- a/src/lib/notifications/notificationTypes.ts
+++ b/src/lib/notifications/notificationTypes.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ export const MUTEABLE_NOTIFICATION_TYPES = [
   { label: "Negotiations closed", value: "market:closed" },
   { label: "Listing sold", value: "market:sold" },
   { label: "Listing expired", value: "market:expired" },
+  { label: "Award received", value: "award:granted" },
   { label: "Discord requests", value: "account:discord-request" },
   { label: "Bank deposit", value: "finance:deposit" },
   { label: "Bank withdrawal", value: "finance:withdraw" },
diff --git a/src/payload-types.ts b/src/payload-types.ts
index 2a87460..69e345b 100644
--- a/src/payload-types.ts
+++ b/src/payload-types.ts
@@ -1157,6 +1157,7 @@ export interface User {
             | 'market:closed'
             | 'market:sold'
             | 'market:expired'
+            | 'award:granted'
             | 'account:discord-request'
             | 'finance:deposit'
             | 'finance:withdraw'
@@ -1187,6 +1188,7 @@ export interface User {
             | 'market:closed'
             | 'market:sold'
             | 'market:expired'
+            | 'award:granted'
             | 'account:discord-request'
             | 'finance:deposit'
             | 'finance:withdraw'
diff --git a/tests/int/award-notifications.int.spec.ts b/tests/int/award-notifications.int.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4017351
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/int/award-notifications.int.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,226 @@
+import { getPayload, Payload } from "payload";
+import config from "@/payload.config";
+
+import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import type { Award, Profile, User } from "@/payload-types";
+import { AwardGrantEntry, diffGrantedAwards } from "@/lib/awards";
+
+let payload: Payload;
+
+const RUN = `aw-${Date.now().toString(36)}`;
+
+function richText(text: string) {
+  return {
+    root: {
+      type: "root",
+      format: "" as const,
+      indent: 0,
+      version: 1,
+      children: [
+        {
+          type: "paragraph",
+          format: "" as const,
+          indent: 0,
+          version: 1,
+          children: [
+            { type: "text", format: 0, style: "", mode: "normal" as const, text, version: 1 },
+          ],
+          direction: "ltr" as const,
+        },
+      ],
+      direction: "ltr" as const,
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+describe("Award grant notifications", () => {
+  let user: User;
+  let profileId: number;
+  let medalId: number;
+  let ribbonId: number;
+
+  const countGrantNotifications = async (userId: number) => {
+    const res = await payload.find({
+      collection: "user-notifications",
+      where: { user: { equals: userId }, type: { equals: "award:granted" } },
+      limit: 50,
+      overrideAccess: true,
+      depth: 0,
+    });
+    return res.docs as Array<{
+      id: number;
+      title?: string | null;
+      message?: string | null;
+      link?: string | null;
+    }>;
+  };
+
+  const setAwards = async (awards: AwardGrantEntry[]) => {
+    await payload.update({
+      collection: "profiles",
+      id: profileId,
+      data: { progression: { awards } },
+      overrideAccess: true,
+      depth: 0,
+    });
+  };
+
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    const payloadConfig = await config;
+    payload = await getPayload({ config: payloadConfig });
+
+    const makeAward = async (name: string, type: "medal" | "ribbon"): Promise<number> => {
+      const created = (await payload.create({
+        collection: "awards",
+        data: {
+          name,
+          description: richText(`${RUN} test award`),
+          type,
+        },
+        overrideAccess: true,
+        depth: 0,
+      })) as unknown as Award;
+      return created.id;
+    };
+
+    medalId = await makeAward(`${RUN} Test Medal`, "medal");
+    ribbonId = await makeAward(`${RUN} Test Ribbon`, "ribbon");
+
+    user = (await payload.create({
+      collection: "users",
+      data: {
+        username: `${RUN}-operator`,
+        discordUsername: `${RUN}-operator-discord`,
+        displayName: `${RUN} Operator`,
+        steamId: `7656119${Math.floor(Math.random() * 1e9)}`,
+        password: "Test123",
+      },
+      overrideAccess: true,
+      depth: 0,
+    })) as unknown as User;
+
+    // The Users afterChange hook auto-creates a profile for new users.
+    const profiles = await payload.find({
+      collection: "profiles",
+      where: { user: { equals: user.id } },
+      limit: 1,
+      depth: 0,
+      overrideAccess: true,
+    });
+    if (profiles.docs.length === 0) throw new Error("Test setup failed: profile was not auto-created.");
+    profileId = profiles.docs[0].id;
+  });
+
+  afterAll(async () => {
+    await payload.delete({ collection: "profiles", id: profileId, overrideAccess: true }).catch(() => {});
+    await payload.delete({ collection: "users", id: user.id, overrideAccess: true }).catch(() => {});
+    await payload.delete({ collection: "awards", id: medalId, overrideAccess: true }).catch(() => {});
+    await payload.delete({ collection: "awards", id: ribbonId, overrideAccess: true }).catch(() => {});
+  });
+
+  it("notifies the user when an award is granted", async () => {
+    await setAwards([{ award: medalId, awardedAt: new Date().toISOString() }]);
+    const docs = await countGrantNotifications(user.id);
+    expect(docs).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(docs[0].title).toBe(`Award received: ${RUN} Test Medal`);
+    expect(docs[0].link).toBe(`/profile/${user.username}`);
+  });
+
+  it("does not notify when an existing entry is edited", async () => {
+    const current = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: "profiles",
+      id: profileId,
+      depth: 0,
+      overrideAccess: true,
+    });
+    const entries = (current as unknown as Profile).progression?.awards ?? [];
+    expect(entries).toHaveLength(1);
+    await setAwards([{ ...entries[0], awardReason: "For exceptional service." }]);
+    expect(await countGrantNotifications(user.id)).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it("does not notify when an award is revoked", async () => {
+    await setAwards([]);
+    expect(await countGrantNotifications(user.id)).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it("notifies again when a revoked award is re-granted", async () => {
+    await setAwards([
+      { award: medalId, awardedAt: new Date().toISOString(), awardReason: "For exceptional service." },
+    ]);
+    expect(await countGrantNotifications(user.id)).toHaveLength(2);
+  });
+
+  it("notifies once per newly granted award in a single update", async () => {
+    const current = await payload.findByID({
+      collection: "profiles",
+      id: profileId,
+      depth: 0,
+      overrideAccess: true,
+    });
+    const existing = (current as unknown as Profile).progression?.awards ?? [];
+    await setAwards([
+      ...existing,
+      { award: ribbonId, awardedAt: new Date().toISOString() },
+      { award: medalId, awardedAt: new Date(Date.now() + 60_000).toISOString() },
+    ]);
+    expect(await countGrantNotifications(user.id)).toHaveLength(4);
+  });
+
+  it("includes the reason and unit attribution in the message", async () => {
+    const docs = await countGrantNotifications(user.id);
+    expect(docs.some((d) => d.message?.includes("For exceptional service."))).toBe(true);
+    // No issuer on any of these grants, so they are attributed to the unit.
+    expect(docs.every((d) => d.message?.includes("On behalf of the unit."))).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("diffGrantedAwards (pure)", () => {
+  const entry = (over: Partial<{ id?: string; awardId?: number; at?: string }>) => ({
+    id: over.id,
+    award: over.awardId ?? 1,
+    awardedAt: over.at ?? "2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
+  });
+
+  it("returns empty when nothing changed", () => {
+    const doc = { progression: { awards: [entry({ id: "a" })] } };
+    expect(diffGrantedAwards(doc, doc)).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it("detects new rows by row id", () => {
+    const before = { progression: { awards: [entry({ id: "a" })] } };
+    const after = { progression: { awards: [entry({ id: "a" }), entry({ id: "b", awardId: 2 })] } };
+    expect(diffGrantedAwards(before, after).map((e) => e.id)).toEqual(["b"]);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to award+date identity when rows have no id", () => {
+    const before = { progression: { awards: [entry({ awardId: 1 })] } };
+    // Same award + date, still no ids → not a new grant (reason-only edits keep the date).
+    const after = { progression: { awards: [entry({ awardId: 1 })] } };
+    expect(diffGrantedAwards(before, after)).toHaveLength(0);
+    // New issue date → new grant.
+    const regranted = { progression: { awards: [entry({ awardId: 1, at: "2026-02-01T00:00:00.000Z" })] } };
+    expect(diffGrantedAwards(before, regranted)).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it("handles the same award granted twice (multiset)", () => {
+    const before = {
+      progression: { awards: [entry({ id: "a", awardId: 1 }), entry({ id: "b", awardId: 1 })] },
+    };
+    const after = {
+      progression: {
+        awards: [
+          entry({ id: "a", awardId: 1 }),
+          entry({ id: "b", awardId: 1 }),
+          entry({ id: "c", awardId: 1 }),
+        ],
+      },
+    };
+    expect(diffGrantedAwards(before, after).map((e) => e.id)).toEqual(["c"]);
+  });
+
+  it("treats a created profile with awards as grants", () => {
+    const after = { progression: { awards: [entry({ id: "a" })] } };
+    expect(diffGrantedAwards(null, after)).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+});