$18.75 million in prizes spotlight transformative science at 2026 Breakthrough Prize ceremony
The 2026 Breakthrough Prize ceremony shone a spotlight on transformative scientific discoveries with the world’s largest science prizes.
The event brought together its dedicated cofounders — Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Yuri and Julia Milner, who gathered to celebrate the evening’s true stars: the laureates.
Coincidentally, Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe and a longtime champion of the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, is the current cover feature of Lifestyles Magazine’s Spring 2026 “Meaningful Influence” issue.
Established more than a decade ago, the Breakthrough Prizes carry a clear mission: to elevate scientists to the cultural stature long reserved for leading entertainers and athletes, while channeling substantial resources to accelerate research.
Their enduring importance lies in championing curiosity-driven science as a cornerstone of human progress, inspiring future generations, and nurturing a global culture that truly values discovery.
Each prize carries a $3 million award.
This year’s laureates included the following:
Life Sciences: Jean Bennett, Katherine A. High, and Albert Maguire for developing the first FDA-approved gene therapy for an inherited retinal disease; Stuart H. Orkin and Swee Lay Thein for elucidating the fetal-to-adult hemoglobin switch and its therapeutic potential for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, and Rosa Rademakers and Bryan Traynor for discovering the most common genetic cause of ALS and frontotemporal dementia.
Mathematics: Frank Merle for breakthroughs in nonlinear evolution equations, stability, singularity formation, and solitons.
Fundamental Physics: The Muon g-2 Collaborations at CERN, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Fermilab.
Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics: David J. Gross for a lifetime of groundbreaking contributions to theoretical physics, from the strong force to string theory, and for tireless advocacy for basic science worldwide.
Inaugural Vera Rubin New Frontiers Prize: Carolina Figueiredo.
Key attendees from technology and philanthropy included Michael and Susan Dell; Bill Gates and Paula Hurd, Sergey Brin with Gerelyn Gilbert-Soto; Sam Altman; Jensen and Lori Huang, Evan Spiegel; Adam and Monica Mosseri; Tim Cook; Marc Andreessen; Chamath Palihapitiya and Nathalie Dompé; Nikesh Arora and Ayesha Thapar; Barry Diller; Aravind Srinivas, Peter and Kristen Diamandis, underscoring the award’s deep roots in innovation and giving.
Many entertainment figures attended the gala, but the focus was on the scientists, their achievements, and the visionary founders who provided the platform.
The ceremony honors a long tradition: celebrating high-profile events while recognizing meaningful scientific achievements to show that transformative research deserves sustained, prominent support.