Mr Blair was awarded the US Congressional Gold Medal in 2003 Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is to be awarded one of the US’s highest private honours for his role in the Northern Ireland peace process.
Mr Blair will be given the Liberty Medal by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Monday.
The award comes as Mr Blair has cancelled promotional events for a new autobiography amid protests by critics of his role in the US-led Iraq war.
Officials with the centre acknowledge Mr Blair is a contentious choice.
The Liberty Medal is to be awarded to Mr Blair on Monday evening by former President Bill Clinton. Mr Blair has already been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the US government.
Mr Blair is currently serving as envoy for the international Quartet of Middle East peace mediators, the US, UK, EU and Russia.
“Freedom, liberty and justice are the values by which this medal is struck,” Mr Blair said in a statement.
“Freedom, liberty and justice are the values which I try to apply to my work on governance in Africa and on preparing the Palestinians for statehood.”
The National Constitution Center is an independent, non-profit organisation that promotes understanding of the US constitution and its contemporary relevance. Recipients of the Liberty Medal receive $100,000 (£65,000).
“There is always an element of controversy when you pick people at the forefront of change,” said president David Eisner.
“They are usually very controversial figures. We understand… how differently Tony Blair appears to be viewed by many people in the UK as compared with many people in the US.”
On tour to promote his new book, Mr Blair has attracted hostile protests from British and Irish anti-war protestors angered at his role in supporting the US-led war in Iraq.
A spokesperson for National Constitution Center said organisers were not aware of any planned protests.
Past US honourees include Thurgood Marshall, the first black Supreme Court justice, and former US presidents Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr and Bill Clinton.
There have also been more eclectic recipients in director Steven Spielberg, singer Bono and DNA pioneers James Watson and Francis Crick.
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