The Crafoord Prize Overview
The Crafoord Prize is a prestigious international award given every year to recognize outstanding achievements in science. It was established in 1980 by a Swedish businessman, Holger Crafoord, and his wife, Anna-Greta Crafoord. They donated funds to support this prize and promote scientific research.
The prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which is responsible for selecting the winners. The award is managed together with the Crafoord Foundation, located in Lund, Sweden.
The Crafoord Prize Winners List (1982-2026)
| Images | Year | Laureates | Category | |
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2026 | Veerabhadran Ramanathan | Geosciences | |
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for fundamental contributions to our understanding of how aerosol particles and other climate pollutants influence the atmospheric energy balance and the Earth system.
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2025 | Christopher Goodnow | Polyarthritis | |
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for the discovery of fundamental mechanisms for B cell tolerance.
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2025 | David Nemazee | Polyarthritis | |
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for the discovery of fundamental mechanisms for B cell tolerance.
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2024 | Claire Voisin | Mathematics | |
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for outstanding contributions to complex and algebraic geometry, including Hodge theory, algebraic cycles, and hyperkähler geometry
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2024 | Conny Aerts | Astronomy | |
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for developing the methods of asteroseismology and their application to the study of the interior of the Sun and of other stars
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2024 | Douglas Gough | Astronomy | |
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for developing the methods of asteroseismology and their application to the study of the interior of the Sun and of other stars
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2024 | Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard | Astronomy | |
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for developing the methods of asteroseismology and their application to the study of the interior of the Sun and of other stars
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2023 | Dolph Schluter | Biosciences | |
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for fundamental contributions to the understanding of adaptive radiation and ecological speciation
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2022 | Andrew H. Knoll | Geosciences | |
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for fundamental contributions to our understanding of the first three billion years of life on Earth and life’s interactions with the physical environment through time
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2021 | Daniel L. Kastner | Polyarthritis | |
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for establishing the concept of autoinflammatory diseases
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2020 | Enrico Bombieri | Mathematics | |
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for outstanding and influential contributions in all the major areas of mathematics, particularly number theory, analysis and algebraic geometry
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2020 | Eugene N. Parker | Astronomy | |
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for pioneering and fundamental studies of the solar wind and magnetic fields from stellar to galactic scales
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2019 | Sallie W. Chisholm | Biosciences | |
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for the discovery and pioneering studies of the most abundant photosynthesising organism on Earth, Prochlorococcus
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2018 | Susan Solomon | Geosciences | |
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for fundamental contributions to understanding the role of atmospheric trace gases in Earth’s climate system
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2018 | Syukuro Manabe | Geosciences | |
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for fundamental contributions to understanding the role of atmospheric trace gases in Earth’s climate system
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2017 | Alexander Rudensky | Polyarthritis | |
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for their discoveries relating to regulatory T cells, which counteract harmful immune reactions in arthritis and other autoimmune diseases
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2017 | Fred Ramsdell | Polyarthritis | |
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for their discoveries relating to regulatory T cells, which counteract harmful immune reactions in arthritis and other autoimmune diseases
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2017 | Shimon Sakaguchi | Polyarthritis | |
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for their discoveries relating to regulatory T cells, which counteract harmful immune reactions in arthritis and other autoimmune diseases
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2016 | Roger Blandford | Astronomy | |
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for fundamental work concerning rotating black holes and their astrophysical consequences
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2016 | Roy Kerr | Astronomy | |
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for fundamental work concerning rotating black holes and their astrophysical consequences
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2016 | Yakov Eliashberg | Mathematics | |
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for the development of contact and symplectic topology and groundbreaking discoveries of rigidity and flexibility phenomena
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2015 | Richard Lewontin | Biosciences | |
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for their pioneering analyses and fundamental contributions to the understanding of genetic polymorphism
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2015 | Tomoko Ohta | Biosciences | |
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for their pioneering analyses and fundamental contributions to the understanding of genetic polymorphism
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2014 | Peter Molnar | Geosciences | |
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for his ground-breaking contribution to the understanding of global tectonics, in particular the deformation of continents and the structure and evolution of mountain ranges, as well as the impact of tectonic processes on ocean-atmosphere circulation and climate
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2013 | Lars Klareskog | Polyarthritis | |
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for their discoveries concerning the role of different genetic factors and their interactions with environmental factors in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical management of rheumatoid arthritis
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2013 | Peter K. Gregersen | Polyarthritis | |
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for their discoveries concerning the role of different genetic factors and their interactions with environmental factors in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical management of rheumatoid arthritis
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2013 | Robert J. Winchester | Polyarthritis | |
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for their discoveries concerning the role of different genetic factors and their interactions with environmental factors in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical management of rheumatoid arthritis
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2012 | Andrea M. Ghez | Astronomy | |
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for their observations of the stars orbiting the galactic centre, indicating the presence of a supermassive black hole
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2012 | Jean Bourgain | Mathematics | |
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for their brilliant and groundbreaking work in harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, ergodic theory, number theory, combinatorics, functional analysis and theoretical computer science
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2012 | Reinhard Genzel | Astronomy | |
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for their observations of the stars orbiting the galactic centre, indicating the presence of a supermassive black hole
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2012 | Terence Tao | Mathematics | |
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for their brilliant and groundbreaking work in harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, ergodic theory, number theory, combinatorics, functional analysis and theoretical computer science
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2011 | Ilkka Hanski | Biosciences | |
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for his pioneering studies on how spatial variation affects the dynamics of animal and plant populations
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2010 | Walter Munk | Geosciences | |
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for his pioneering and fundamental contributions to our understanding of ocean circulation, tides and waves, and their role in the Earth’s dynamics
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2009 | Charles Dinarello | Polyarthritis | |
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for their pioneering work to isolate interleukins, determine their properties and explore their role in the onset of inflammatory diseases
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2009 | Tadamitsu Kishimoto | Polyarthritis | |
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for their pioneering work to isolate interleukins, determine their properties and explore their role in the onset of inflammatory diseases
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2009 | Toshio Hirano | Polyarthritis | |
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for their pioneering work to isolate interleukins, determine their properties and explore their role in the onset of inflammatory diseases
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2008 | Edward Witten | Mathematics | |
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for their important contributions to mathematics inspired by modern theoretical physics
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2008 | Maxim Kontsevich | Mathematics | |
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for their important contributions to mathematics inspired by modern theoretical physics
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2008 | Rashid Alievich Sunyaev | Astronomy | |
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for his decisive contributions to high energy astrophysics and cosmology, in particular processes and dynamics around black holes and neutron stars and demonstration of the diagnostic power of structures in the background radiation
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2007 | Robert Trivers | Biosciences | |
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for his fundamental analysis of social evolution, conflict and cooperation
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2006 | Wallace Smith Broecker | Geosciences | |
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for his innovative and pioneering research on the operation of the global carbon cycle within the ocean atmosphere-biosphere system, and its interaction with climate
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2005 | James E. Gunn | Astronomy | |
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for contributions towards understanding the large-scale structure of the Universe
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2005 | James Peebles | Astronomy | |
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for contributions towards understanding the large-scale structure of the Universe
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2005 | Martin Rees (The Lord Rees of Ludlow OM Kt HonFREng FRS) Albert Einstein World Award of ScienceCopley Medal | Astronomy | |
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for contributions towards understanding the large-scale structure of the Universe
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2004 | Eugene C. Butcher | Polyarthritis | |
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for their studies of the molecular mechanisms involved in migration of white blood cells in health and disease
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2004 | Timothy A. Springer | Polyarthritis | |
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for their studies of the molecular mechanisms involved in migration of white blood cells in health and disease
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2003 | Carl Woese | Biosciences | |
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for his discovery of a third domain of life
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2002 | Dan McKenzie | Geosciences | |
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for fundamental contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of the lithosphere, particularly plate tectonics, sedimentary basin formation and mantle melting
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2001 | Alain Connes | Mathematics | |
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for his penetrating work on the theory of operator algebras and for having been a founder of non-commutative geometry
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2000 | Marc Feldmann | Polyarthritis | |
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for their definition of TNF-alpha as a therapeutic target in rheumatoid arthritis
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2000 | Ravinder N. Maini | Polyarthritis | |
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for their definition of TNF-alpha as a therapeutic target in rheumatoid arthritis
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1999 | Ernst Mayr | Biosciences | |
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for their fundamental contributions to the conceptual development of evolutionary biology
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1999 | George Christopher Williams | Biosciences | |
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for their fundamental contributions to the conceptual development of evolutionary biology
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1999 | John Maynard Smith | Biosciences | |
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for their fundamental contributions to the conceptual development of evolutionary biology
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1998 | Adam M. Dziewonski | Geosciences | |
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for their fundamental contributions to our knowledge of the structures and processes in the interior of the Earth
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1998 | Don L. Anderson | Geosciences | |
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for their fundamental contributions to our knowledge of the structures and processes in the interior of the Earth
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1997 | Edwin Ernest Salpeter | Astronomy | |
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for their pioneering contributions to the study of nuclear processes in stars and stellar evolution
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1997 | Fred Hoyle | Astronomy | |
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for their pioneering contributions to the study of nuclear processes in stars and stellar evolution
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1996 | Robert May | Biosciences | |
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for his pioneering ecological research concerning theoretical analysis of the dynamics of populations, communities and ecosystems
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1995 | Nicholas Shackleton | Geosciences | |
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for their fundamental work on developing and applying isotope geological analysis methods for the study of climatic variations during the Quaternary period
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1995 | Willi Dansgaard | Geosciences | |
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for their fundamental work on developing and applying isotope geological analysis methods for the study of climatic variations during the Quaternary period
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1994 | Shing-Tung Yau | Mathematics | |
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for his development of non-linear techniques in differential geometry leading the solution of several outstanding problems
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1994 | Simon Donaldson | Mathematics | |
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for his fundamental investigations in four-dimensional geometry through application of instantos in particular his new discovery of new differential invariants
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1993 | Seymour Benzer | Biosciences | |
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for his pioneering genetical and neurophysiological studies on behavioural mutants in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster
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1993 | W. D. Hamilton | Biosciences | |
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for his theories concerning kin selection and genetic relationship as a prerequisite for the evolution of altruistic behavior
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1992 | Adolf Seilacher | Geosciences | |
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for his innovative research concerning the evolution of life in interaction with the environment as documented in the geological record
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1991 | Allan Sandage | Astronomy | |
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for his very important contributions to the study of galaxies, their populations of stars, clusters and nebulae, their evolution, the velocity-distance relation (or Hubble relation), and its evolution over time
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1990 | E. O. Wilson | Biosciences | |
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for the theory of island biogeography and other research on species diversity and community dynamics on islands and in other habitats with differing degrees of isolation
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1990 | Paul R. Ehrlich | Biosciences | |
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for his research on the dynamics and genetics of fragmented populations and the importance of the distribution pattern for their survival probabilities
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1989 | James Van Allen | Geosciences | |
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for his pioneering exploration of space, in particular the discovery of the energetic particles trapped in the geomagnetic field which forms the radiation belts - the Van Allen belts - around the planet Earth
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1988 | Alexander Grothendieck | Mathematics | |
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for their fundamental research in algebraic geometry
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1988 | Pierre Deligne | Mathematics | |
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for their fundamental research in algebraic geometry
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1987 | Eugene Odum | Biosciences | |
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for their pioneering contributions within the field of ecosystem ecology
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1987 | Howard T. Odum | Biosciences | |
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for their pioneering contributions within the field of ecosystem ecology
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1986 | Claude Allègre | Geosciences | |
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for their pioneering studies of isotope geochemical relations and the geological interpretations that these results permit
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1986 | Gerald J. Wasserburg | Geosciences | |
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for their pioneering studies of isotope geochemical relations and the geological interpretations that these results permit
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1985 | Lyman Spitzer | Astronomy | |
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for his fundamental pioneering studies of practically every aspect of the interstellar medium, culminating in the results obtained using the Copernicus satellite
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1984 | Daniel H. Janzen | Biosciences | |
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for his imaginative and stimulating studies on co-evolution which have inspired many researchers to further work in this field
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1983 | Edward Norton Lorenz | Geosciences | |
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for their fundamental contributions to the field of geophysical hydrodynamics, which in a unique way have contributed to a deeper understanding of the large-scale motions of the atmosphere and the sea
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1983 | Henry Stommel | Geosciences | |
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for their fundamental contributions to the field of geophysical hydrodynamics, which in a unique way have contributed to a deeper understanding of the large-scale motions of the atmosphere and the sea
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1982 | Vladimir Arnold | Mathematics | |
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for their outstanding achievements in the theory of non-linear differential equations
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1982 | Louis Nirenberg Abel PrizeChern Medal | Mathematics | |
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for their outstanding achievements in the theory of non-linear differential equations
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The Crafoord Prize FAQs
The Crafoord Prize is a recognized award honoring excellence and achievements in Science category, awarded to deserving individuals or organizations worldwide.
It is a Science award category, recognizing outstanding contributions, performance, and excellence in Science field or domain globally.
This award is given for Astronomy and mathematics; Biosciences; Geosciences; Polyarthritis research (in four-year rotation), honoring individuals or groups who have demonstrated exceptional achievements and contributions in this area.
The The Crafoord Prize is presented by Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences & Crafoord Foundation, recognizing excellence and honoring individuals for their significant achievements and contributions.
The Crafoord Prize was first awarded in 1982, marking the beginning of recognizing excellence and achievements in its respective category.
The most recent The Crafoord Prize was awarded in 2026, continuing its tradition of recognizing excellence and outstanding achievements globally.
Currently, the The Crafoord Prize is Continue, indicating whether the award is actively presented or has been discontinued officially.
The Crafoord Prize is awarded by International, recognizing achievements and honoring individuals or organizations associated with International country and its excellence.
