The 2026 Breakthrough Prize winners were announced Saturday (April 18) as the red carpet opened at the annual gala in Los Angeles, a globally broadcast ceremony often dubbed the "Oscars of Science," where celebrities and tech leaders mingle with researchers to celebrate major scientific advances.
Six mainstage prizes — each worth $3 million — were awarded across life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics, along with a special prize for lifetime achievement. This year's honors recognize breakthroughs ranging from gene therapies and neurodegenerative disease to precision particle physics and the mathematics of complex systems, according to a statement from the non-profit organization.
