This award for children's literature, named after Danish author HC Andersen, is presented every other year by the International Board on Books for Young people (IBBY). The award goes to one author and one illustrator "living at the time of the nomination, whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature". (Quote taken from the IBBY website.) The author's award has been presented since 1956, the illustrator's award was added in 1966. The nominations are made by national sections of IBBY, and the winners are picked by an international jury. The award consists of a gold medal and a diploma.
Recipients - author and illustrator:
2000: Ana Maria Machado (Brazil) and Anthony Browne (UK)
1998: Katherine Paterson (USA) and Tomi Ungerer (France)
1996: Uri Orlev (Israel) and Klaus Ensikat (Germany)
1994: Michio Mado (Japan) and Jörg Müller (Switzerland)
1992: Virginia Hamilton (USA) and Kveta Pacovská (Czech Republic)
1990: Tormod Haugen (Norway) and Lisbeth Zwerger (Austria)
1988: Annie M. G. Schmidt (Netherlands) and Dusan Kállay (Czechoslovakia)
1986: Patricia Wrightson (Australia) and Robert Ingpen (Australia)
1984: Christine Nöstlinger (Austria) and Mitsumasa Anno (Japan)
1982: Lygia Bojunga Nunes (Brazil) and Zbigniew Rychlicki (Poland)
1980: Bohumil Riha (Czechoslovakia) and Suekichi Akaba (Japan)
1978: Paula Fox (USA) and Svend Otto S. (Denmark)
1976: Cecil Bødker (Denmark) and Tatjana Mawrina (USSR)
1974: Maria Gripe (Sweden) and Farshid Mesghali (Iran)
1972: Scott O'Dell (USA) and Ib Spang Olsen (Denmark)
1970: Gianni Rodari (Italy) and Maurice Sendak (USA)
1968: authors James Krüss (Germany) and José Maria Sanchez- Silva (Spain) and illustrator Jirí Trnka (Czechoslovakia)
1966: Tove Jansson (Finland) and Alois Carigiet (Switzerland)
1964: René Guillot (France)
1962: Meindert DeJong (USA)
1960: Erich Kästner (Germany)
1958: Astrid Lindgren (Sweden)
1956: Eleanor Farjeon (UK)
(Source: http://www.ibby.org/Seiten/04_andersen.htm)