IAU Members Awarded Prestigious Kavli Prize in Astrophysics 2026

IAU Members Awarded Prestigious Kavli Prize in Astrophysics 2026

10 June 2026, Oslo, Norway - Honoring groundbreaking scientific discovery, the recipients of The Kavli Prizes 2026 in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience are announced today by President Annelin Eriksen at The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, Oslo, Norway.

2026 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics Laureates from left to right:
Vasily Belokurov, Amina Helmi, Rodrigo Ibata

The discoveries honored in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience are challenging assumptions, encouraging scientists to explore new ideas and furthering our understanding of how the world works. From revealing how our brains can be so extremely efficient in learning, to uncovering the hidden collisions under the seemingly harmonious spiral of the Milky Way, to our ability to change the properties of materials just by giving them a twist. Each of the discoveries honored today helps to answer vital questions and reveal further areas for investigation.

The Kavli Prize in Astrophysics for 2026 is awarded to: Vasily Belokurov, Amina Helmi and Rodrigo Ibata "for uncovering the fossil evidence of past mergers proving that the Milky Way galaxy was built through hierarchical accretion."

10 scientists from three fields with 9 different nationalities and hailing from three continents are honored for their research that has broadened our understanding of the big, the small and the complex. The laureates in each field will share $1 million USD. They will be awarded The Kavli Prize in Oslo in September.

Honoring these excellent scientists is not only a recognition of achievements, it is an investment in our shared future, affirming the curiosity, rigor, and courage that drive human progress, says Annelin Eriksen, President of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
The recipients of The Kavli Prize represent what is best in the scientific enterprise. Their work builds on one another, deepens our understanding of ourselves and the world we live in, and creates new opportunities for the next generation of theoreticians, investigators and inventors. The science honored today is already helping to lay the groundwork for a world of new opportunities in medicine, technology and our understanding of the universe.

Astrophysics

A history of violence: How mergers are rewriting the Milky Way's past

The recipients have used the remnants of devoured galaxies to prove that our galaxy is the survivor of enormous, billion-year-old cosmic collisions, giving us a revolutionary view of how our universe is formed, says Per Barth Lilje, Chair of The Kavli Prize Committee in Astrophysics.

For decades, the Milky Way was seen as a stable, beautiful spiral. The 2026 Kavli Prize Laureates in Astrophysics, Amina Helmi, Vasily Belokurov, and Rodrigo Ibata, have overturned this idea.

Using the most precise instruments available, the scientists have effectively performed cosmic archaeology. They've analyzed vast, stretched-out structures of stars, known as stellar streams. These are the visible wreckage of smaller dwarf galaxies ripped apart by the Milky Way's gravity, providing a detailed record of the galaxy's history of mergers.

This work has shifted the paradigm of galaxy formation from a slow, steady state to a dynamic, violent narrative of galactic cannibalism.

Most importantly, these streams act as cosmic seismometers. By measuring how the stars are moving, scientists are measuring the galaxy's gravitational potential, allowing them to map the distribution and structure of the elusive dark matter, the invisible scaffolding that holds the Milky Way together.

The discoveries have also fundamentally altered how we conceive of the universe: galaxies are not just collections of stars; they are living historical objects, constantly being born, damaged, and rebuilt by the gravitational dance of massive cosmic mergers.

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About The Kavli Prize

• Per Barth Lilje is Chair of The Kavli Prize Committee for Astrophysics The Kavli Prize is a partnership among The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and The Kavli Foundation (USA).
• The Kavli Prize honors scientists for breakthroughs in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience that transform our understanding of the big, the small and the most complex.
• A one-million-dollar prize is awarded every other year in each of the three fields.
• The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters formally appoints the laureates based on recommendations from three independent selection committees whose members are nominated by The Chinese Academy of Sciences, The French Academy of Sciences, The Max Planck Society of Germany, The U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and The Royal Society, UK.

Contact

Marina Tofting (Norway), The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, (+47) 938 66 312

This year's Kavli Prize Laureates in Astrophysics are

• Vasily Belokurov, University of Cambridge, UK
• Amina Helmi, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
• Rodrigo Ibata, University of Strasbourg, France