Breakthrough Prize Foundation Announces 2026 Laureates
The Breakthrough Prize Foundation revealed the winners of its prestigious 2026 awards during an announcement in Los Angeles on April 18, 2026.
Six main prizes, each worth $3 million, were awarded across three scientific categories.
Life Sciences
Three prizes were awarded in this category, recognizing transformative medical advances:
- Jean Bennett, Katherine A. High, and Albert Maguire were honored for developing the first FDA-approved gene therapy for inherited retinal degeneration.
- Stuart H. Orkin and Swee Lay Thein were recognized for research leading to CRISPR-based therapies for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia.
- Rosa Rademakers and Bryan Traynor were awarded for discovering the most common genetic cause of ALS and frontotemporal dementia.
Mathematics
- Frank Merle received the prize for his advances in nonlinear evolution equations.
Fundamental Physics
- The Muon g-2 Collaborations at CERN, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Fermilab were awarded for precision measurements of the muon's anomalous magnetic moment.
Additional Awards and Honors
The ceremony also featured several special recognitions:
- Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics: Awarded to David J. Gross for his lifetime contributions to theoretical physics.
- Inaugural Vera Rubin New Frontiers Prize: Presented to Carolina Figueiredo for her contributions to the geometric structure of scattering amplitudes.
- Six New Horizons Prizes ($100,000 each) were given to early-career researchers in physics and mathematics.
- Three Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes ($50,000 each) were awarded to women mathematicians who have recently completed their PhDs.
"This year's laureates show what great science can do – deepen our understanding of the world and lead to discoveries that improve millions of lives," stated Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan.
Foundation and Impact
The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Julia and Yuri Milner, and Anne Wojcicki. The 2026 awards bring the total amount conferred by the prizes over their 15-year history to more than $340 million.
"The brilliant scientists who win the Breakthrough Prize are building a cathedral of knowledge on foundations laid down by the giants who came before them," said Yuri Milner.
Ceremony Broadcast
The awards ceremony will premiere on YouTube on April 26, 2026, at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.