The key facts

  • Brian Cox received the 2026 Stephen Hawking Medal at a ceremony at the Royal Astronomical Society in London on 2 October
  • The award was presented by Starmus co-founders Sir Brian May and astrophysicist Garik Israelian; the medal was established together with Hawking ten years ago
  • The 2026 laureates also include Ridley Scott, the Artemis II crew, Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton and 17-year-old Valeria Corrales (Junior)

Award Ceremony in London

British physicist and science communicator Brian Cox has received the 2026 Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication. The award was presented at a closed ceremony at the Royal Astronomical Society in London on 2 October by Starmus co-founders — Sir Brian May and astrophysicist Garik Israelian. According to Cox, it was especially moving for him to receive the award, as he was present at the first announcement of its establishment ten years ago. 'Astronomy is the oldest science, and in today's fragmented world I believe the desire to understand the Universe is more important than ever,' he said. May emphasised that the medal was born from the conviction that science should inspire people far beyond the scientific community, and that this is especially important at a time when 'truth, evidence and critical thinking are increasingly being questioned.'

Who Is Brian Cox

Cox is one of the most famous science popularisers in the UK. He has hosted the TV programmes Universe and The Planets, written books including 'The Quantum Universe', and lectures around the world. He is currently Professor of Particle Physics and Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science at the University of Manchester. His work covers topics from the smallest building blocks of matter to the origin and fate of the Universe.

Other Laureates and the Award's History

This year the medal will also be awarded to director Ridley Scott, the Artemis II crew, Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton and 17-year-old Valeria Corrales, who receives the Stephen Hawking Medal Junior. Christiana Figueres, a key figure in the conclusion of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, will receive the first Jane Goodall Earth Medal. Past laureates include David Attenborough, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Sylvia Earle, Christopher Nolan, Hans Zimmer, Brian Eno and the NASA press office. One side of the medal features a portrait of Hawking by Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov; the other shows Leonov during his historic spacewalk and Brian May's 'Red Special' guitar. At the ceremony, Cox was also presented with an OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch watch made of 18-carat Moonshine Gold.

Starmus VIII Festival

The award will be celebrated at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands from 17 to 22 October. This year's festival theme is 'The Quest for Truth'; it will bring together scientists, astronauts, Nobel laureates, artists and musicians on Tenerife and La Palma, known for the quality of their night skies and astronomical sites protected as a Starlight Reserve. The programme includes lectures, discussions, music, art, stargazing and a science camp. Andrea Bocelli, Rick Wakeman and Sarah Brightman will perform, along with more than 40 speakers, including Nobel laureates May-Britt Moser, Donna Strickland and Steven Chu, and astronauts Chris Hadfield, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen. The festival will close on La Palma with a free public performance of Ilan Eshkeri's orchestral work Space Station Earth with footage from space.