Breakthrough Prize 2025

Last Saturday night, the eleventh Breakthrough Prize awards celebrated outstanding scientific achievements, honoring scientists driving remarkable discoveries in gene editing, human diseases, the search for the fundamental laws of the Universe and pure mathematics.

Recognized internationally as “the Oscars® of Science,” the annual Breakthrough Prize awards salutes distinguished scientists from across the globe at star-studded gala event. It brings together high-profile leaders in the science, tech and business communities as well as celebrities, actors, filmmakers, writers, singers, athletes and musicians, plus current and prior Breakthrough Prize laureates, as they all assemble for a glittering celebration of science and scientific achievement.

Six $3 million prizes were awarded in total. 

A night of brilliance: Hollywood honors Scientific greatness in star-studded Breakthrough Prize Ceremony

Under the glimmering lights of The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Hollywood and science collided in spectacular fashion at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony — an unforgettable evening celebrating humanity’s greatest minds. Hosted with wit and warmth by the always-charismatic James Corden, the event brought together A-list stars, visionary researchers, and world-changing discoveries in a glamorous, red-carpet affair that felt part Oscars, part Nobel Prize… and entirely extraordinary.

The evening sparkled with appearances by an eclectic and electric lineup of presenters — from Christina Aguilera and Drew Barrymore to Vin Diesel, Gal Gadot, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Other presenters included icons like Jodie Foster, Ke Huy Quan, MrBeast, Salma Hayek Pinault, Edward Norton, Gayle King, Jeremy Strong, Seth Rogen, Lily Collins, Lauren Sanchez, and will.i.am — all there to spotlight the stories of science’s brightest stars.

Katy Perry and Sia brought the house down with powerful live performances, adding a musical heartbeat to a night dedicated to intellect and impact.

The Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences went to pioneering scientists including Daniel J. Drucker, Joel Habener, Jens Juul Holst, Lotte Bjerre Knudsen, Svetlana Mojsov, Alberto Ascherio, Stephen L. Hauser, and David R. Liu — each of whom has redefined what’s possible in medicine and human health.

In mathematics, Dennis Gaitsgory took home the prestigious Breakthrough Prize, while the field of fundamental physics saw its highest honor shared among over 13,000 scientists from the ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb experiments at CERN, in a stunning tribute to collaboration on a global scale. A Special Breakthrough Prize was also awarded to the legendary Gerardus ‘t Hooft.

A particularly emotional moment of the night came during a special tribute and standing ovation for climate scientist Susan Solomon, who helped reveal the ozone hole and inspired action across the globe.

Rising stars were also in the spotlight, with six New Horizons Prizes in Physics and Mathematics awarded to early-career innovators including Waseem Bakr; Jeongwan Haah; Sebastiaan Haffert, Rebecca Jensen-Clem, Maaike van Kooten; Ewain Gwynne, John Pardon, and Sam Raskin.

The future of mathematics shone brightly with the Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes, awarded to Si Ying Lee, Rajula Srivastava, and Ewin Tang, recognizing exceptional women in the early stages of their mathematical journeys.

And inspiring the next generation, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge honored Jasmine Eyal, whose science video captivated judges and audiences worldwide.

It was an evening where celebrity met science, where equations earned applause, and where hope for the future burned brightly under the Santa Monica stars. The Breakthrough Prize Ceremony wasn’t just an awards show — it was a celebration of curiosity, discovery, and the human spirit.

Recipients of the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences:

• Daniel J. Drucker, Joel Habener, Jens Juul Holst, Lotte Bjerre Knudsen, and Svetlana Mojsov were recognized for their work on GLP-1 diabetes and obesity.
• Alberto Ascherio and Stephen L. Hauser were honored for their discoveries related to multiple sclerosis.
• David R. Liu received the award for his work on DNA editing. 

Recipients of the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics:

• The prize was awarded to the research teams at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for their work in exploring nature at the shortest distances. 

Recipients of the Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics:

• Dennis Gaitsgory received the award for his work on the proof of the Geometric Langlands Conjecture. 

Other awards:

• A Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was awarded to Gerardus ‘t Hooft. 
• Six New Horizons Prizes were awarded to early-career researchers in physics and mathematics. 
• Three Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes were awarded to women mathematicians. 

You can watch this video to see the entire 2025 Breakthrough Prize Ceremony.

About Breakthrough Prize

Known popularly as the “Oscars® of Science,” the Breakthrough Prize recognizes the research achievements of the world’s top scientists, awarding approximately $15 million annually in prizes. Each prize is $3 million and presented in the fields of Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics and Mathematics. In addition, up to three New Horizons in Physics Prizes ($100,000), up to three New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes ($100,000), and up to three Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes ($50,000) are given out to early-career researchers each year. Laureates attend a gala award ceremony designed to celebrate their achievements and inspire the next generation of scientists. The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Julia and Yuri Milner, and Anne Wojcicki and have been sponsored by foundations established by them. Selection Committees composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates in each field choose the winners. Information on the Breakthrough Prize is available at breakthroughprize.org.