Kyoto Prize for Basic Sciences: Winners by Year

Award years

• 2026

  • Farooq Azam

    Elucidating the Role of “Microbial Loop” in Marine Carbon Cycling.

• 2025

  • Azim Surani

    Discovery of Genomic Imprinting in Mammals and Elucidation of Its Molecular Mechanisms.

• 2024

  • Paul F. Hoffman

    Proving Snowball Earth Accelerating Life Evolution and Plate Tectonics Dating Back to the First Half of Earth's History.

• 2023

  • Elliott H. Lieb

    Pioneering Mathematical Research in Physics, Chemistry, and Quantum Information Science Based on Many-Body Physics

• 2022

  • Bryan Grenfell

    Development of an Innovative Methodology for Integrative Analysis of Pathogen Evolution and Epidemics.

• 2021

  • Robert G. Roeder

    Discovery of the Principle of Gene Transcription Mechanisms in Eukaryotes

• 2019

  • James E. Gunn

    Outstanding Contributions to the Elucidation of Cosmic History Based on a Large-Scale Wide-Field Observation.

• 2018

  • Masaki Kashiwara

    Outstanding Contributions to a Broad Spectrum of Modern Mathematics: Advancement of D-module Theory from Its Foundation

• 2017

  • Graham Farquhar

    Development of Process-based Models of Photosynthesis and Their Contributions to the Science of Global Environmental Changes

• 2016

  • Tasuku Honjo

    Discovery of the Mechanism Responsible for the Functional Diversification of Antibodies, Immunoregulatory Molecules and Clinical Applications of PD-1

• 2015

  • Michel Mayor

    Outstanding Contributions in Evolving a New Vision of the Universe through the Discovery of Extrasolar Planet

• 2014

  • Edward Witten

    Outstanding Contributions to the Development of Mathematical Sciences through the Exploration of Superstring Theory

• 2013

  • Masatoshi Nei

    Research on the Evolution of Biological Populations Using Quantitative Analyses of Genetic Variation and Evolutionary Time

• 2012

  • Yoshinori Ohsumi

    Outstanding Contribution to Elucidating the Molecular Mechanisms and Physiological Significance of Autophagy, a Cellular Adaptive System to Environment

• 2011

  • Rashid Sunyaev

    Proposal of the Theory of Fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation to Explore the Expanding Universe, and Outstanding Contribution to High-Energy Astronomy

• 2010

  • László Lovász

    Outstanding Contributions to Mathematical Sciences Based on Discrete Optimization Algorithms

• 2009

  • Barbara Rosemary Grant, Peter Raymond Grant

    Demonstrating Rapid Evolution Caused by Natural Selection in Response to Environmental Changes

• 2008

  • Tony Pawson

    Proposing and Proving the Concept of Adapter Molecules in the Signal Transduction

• 2007

  • Hiroo Kanamori

    Elucidation of Physical Processes of Earthquakes and Its Application to Hazard Mitigation

• 2006

  • Hirotsugu Akaike

    Major contribution to statistical science and modeling with the development of the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC)

• 2005

  • Simon Asher Levin

    Establishment of the field of spatial ecology and the proposition of the biosphere as a "complex adaptive system

• 2004

  • Alfred G. Knudson

    Seminal contribution to the establishment of the theory of the tumor suppressor gene in the mechanism of human carcinogenesis

• 2003

  • Eugene Parker

    Contributions to Astrophysics through the Elucidation of the Solar Wind and Cosmical Magnetohydrodynamic Phenomena

• 2002

  • Mikhail Gromov

    Contributions through dramatic developments in a range of mathematical fields by introducing the innovative method of a metric structure for families of various geometrical objects

• 2001

  • John Maynard Smith

    Contribution to Evolutionary Biology by Proposing the Idea of the Evolutionarily Stable Strategy (ESS)

• 2000

  • Walter Jakob Gehring

    Discovery of Conserved Developmental Mechanisms

• 1999

  • Walter Munk

    Outstanding Contribution to the Earth Science by the Elucidation of Dynamical Mechanism of Ocean and Its Waves

• 1998

  • Kiyoshi Itō

    Fundamental Contribution to the Stochastic Analysis, through His Invention of Stochastic Differential Equations, Which Have Been Applied in Various Sciences

• 1997

  • Daniel H. Janzen

    Pioneering Study of Biodiversity in Tropics and Its Maintenance Mechanisms

• 1996

  • Mario R. Capecchi

    Production of Knockout Mice through the Development of Gene Targeting Technique and Outstanding Contribution to Elucidation of Gene Function

• 1995

  • Chūshirō Hayashi

    Outstanding Contribution to Astrophysics through the Theoretical Studies of the Stellar Formation and Evolution and the Formation of Solar System

• 1994

  • André Weil

    Broad Contribution to the Modern Mathematics, Especially through the Foundational Works in Algebraic Geometry and Number Theory

• 1993

  • W. D. Hamilton

    Proposal of Inclusive Fitness and the Establishment of Evolutionary Theory of Sociality and Cooperation

• 1992

  • Yasutomi Nishizuka

    Elucidation of Intracellular Signal Transduction System through the Discovery and Functional Analysis of the Protein Kinase C

• 1991

  • Edward Norton Lorenz

    Outstanding Contribution to Earth Science and Mathematical Science by the Development of Theoretical Basis of Numerical Study in Meteorology and the Discovery of Deterministic Chaos

• 1990

  • Jane Goodall

    Long-Term Study of Behavior, Sociology, and Ecology of Chimpanzees in the Wild

• 1989

  • Israel Gelfand

    Outstanding Contribution to Many Fields of Mathematical Sciences, Especially Pioneering Studies in Functional Analysis

• 1987

  • Jan Hendrik Oort

    Outstanding Contribution to Astronomy by the Elucidation of Structure and Dynamics of the Galaxy

• 1986

  • George Evelyn Hutchinson

    Outstanding Contribution to Limnology and Community Ecology by Integrative Ecological Niche Theory

• 1985

  • Claude Elwood Shannon

    Establishment of Mathematical Foundation of Information Theory