diff --git a/src/components/admin/round/project-states-table.tsx b/src/components/admin/round/project-states-table.tsx
index 7ad483f..71bd251 100644
--- a/src/components/admin/round/project-states-table.tsx
+++ b/src/components/admin/round/project-states-table.tsx
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ export function ProjectStatesTable({ competitionId, roundId }: ProjectStatesTabl
       {/* Table */}
       <div className="border rounded-lg overflow-hidden">
         {/* Header */}
-        <div className="grid grid-cols-[40px_1fr_140px_120px_100px_48px] gap-2 px-4 py-2.5 bg-muted/40 text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground border-b">
+        <div className="grid grid-cols-[40px_1fr_140px_160px_120px_100px_48px] gap-2 px-4 py-2.5 bg-muted/40 text-xs font-medium text-muted-foreground border-b">
           <div>
             <Checkbox
               checked={filtered.length > 0 && filtered.every((ps: any) => selectedIds.has(ps.projectId))}
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ export function ProjectStatesTable({ competitionId, roundId }: ProjectStatesTabl
           </div>
           <div>Project</div>
           <div>Category</div>
+          <div>Country</div>
           <div>State</div>
           <div>Entered</div>
           <div />
@@ -351,7 +352,7 @@ export function ProjectStatesTable({ competitionId, roundId }: ProjectStatesTabl
           return (
             <div
               key={ps.id}
-              className="grid grid-cols-[40px_1fr_140px_120px_100px_48px] gap-2 px-4 py-3 items-center border-b last:border-b-0 hover:bg-muted/30 text-sm"
+              className="grid grid-cols-[40px_1fr_140px_160px_120px_100px_48px] gap-2 px-4 py-3 items-center border-b last:border-b-0 hover:bg-muted/30 text-sm"
             >
               <div>
                 <Checkbox
@@ -373,6 +374,9 @@ export function ProjectStatesTable({ competitionId, roundId }: ProjectStatesTabl
                   {ps.project?.competitionCategory || '—'}
                 </Badge>
               </div>
+              <div className="text-xs text-muted-foreground truncate">
+                {ps.project?.country || '—'}
+              </div>
               <div>
                 <Badge variant="outline" className={`text-xs ${cfg.color}`}>
                   <StateIcon className="h-3 w-3 mr-1" />
diff --git a/src/server/routers/specialAward.ts b/src/server/routers/specialAward.ts
index 41b7dd0..3e22604 100644
--- a/src/server/routers/specialAward.ts
+++ b/src/server/routers/specialAward.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,25 @@ import { Prisma } from '@prisma/client'
 import { router, protectedProcedure, adminProcedure } from '../trpc'
 import { logAudit } from '../utils/audit'
 import { processEligibilityJob } from '../services/award-eligibility-job'
+import type { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client'
+
+/**
+ * Verify the current session user exists in the database.
+ * Guards against stale JWT sessions (e.g., after database reseed).
+ */
+async function ensureUserExists(db: PrismaClient, userId: string): Promise<string> {
+  const user = await db.user.findUnique({
+    where: { id: userId },
+    select: { id: true },
+  })
+  if (!user) {
+    throw new TRPCError({
+      code: 'UNAUTHORIZED',
+      message: 'Your session refers to a user that no longer exists. Please log out and log back in.',
+    })
+  }
+  return user.id
+}
 
 export const specialAwardRouter = router({
   // ─── Admin Queries ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -425,6 +444,8 @@ export const specialAwardRouter = router({
       })
     )
     .mutation(async ({ ctx, input }) => {
+      const verifiedUserId = await ensureUserExists(ctx.prisma, ctx.user.id)
+
       await ctx.prisma.awardEligibility.upsert({
         where: {
           awardId_projectId: {
@@ -433,16 +454,16 @@ export const specialAwardRouter = router({
           },
         },
         create: {
-          awardId: input.awardId,
-          projectId: input.projectId,
+          award: { connect: { id: input.awardId } },
+          project: { connect: { id: input.projectId } },
           eligible: input.eligible,
           method: 'MANUAL',
-          overriddenBy: ctx.user.id,
+          overriddenByUser: { connect: { id: verifiedUserId } },
           overriddenAt: new Date(),
         },
         update: {
           eligible: input.eligible,
-          overriddenBy: ctx.user.id,
+          overriddenByUser: { connect: { id: verifiedUserId } },
           overriddenAt: new Date(),
         },
       })
@@ -1018,12 +1039,14 @@ export const specialAwardRouter = router({
         })
       }
 
+      const verifiedUserId = await ensureUserExists(ctx.prisma, ctx.user.id)
+
       // Mark all as confirmed
       await ctx.prisma.awardEligibility.updateMany({
         where: { awardId: input.awardId, shortlisted: true, eligible: true },
         data: {
           confirmedAt: new Date(),
-          confirmedBy: ctx.user.id,
+          confirmedBy: verifiedUserId,
         },
       })
 
diff --git a/src/server/services/round-engine.ts b/src/server/services/round-engine.ts
index 348085d..35fd6e2 100644
--- a/src/server/services/round-engine.ts
+++ b/src/server/services/round-engine.ts
@@ -690,6 +690,7 @@ export async function getProjectRoundStates(
           title: true,
           teamName: true,
           competitionCategory: true,
+          country: true,
           status: true,
         },
       },