The Princess of Asturias Awards 2026 bring together this Friday in Oviedo some of the most recognized figures in sports, culture, science, and international thought. From Leo Messi, world champion with Argentina, to Patti Smith, a reference of American rock and poetry, the eight awards of this edition distinguish very different trajectories, but linked to artistic creation, knowledge, and social contribution.
The award ceremony will take place at 18:30 hours in the Campoamor Theater, under the presidency of Kings Felipe VI and Letizia, accompanied by Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía. The heir to the throne will be in charge of presenting the awards, in an edition that also honors historian Timothy Garton Ash, writer Julian Barnes, and astronaut Christina Koch.
The list of awardees includes eight categories and ten individuals recognized individually, in addition to two institutions or collective projects. These are the protagonists of the Princess of Asturias Awards 2026 and the reasons why they have been distinguished.
Leo Messi, Princess of Asturias Award for Sports
The Argentine footballer Lionel Messi (Rosario, 1987) receives the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports for a career that has made him one of the main figures in the history of football. The jury has recognized both his sports successes and his charitable activity in favor of education and children's health.
Messi has won eight Ballon d'Or awards and was one of the decisive figures in Argentina's victory at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His record also includes four Champions League titles with FC Barcelona, two Copa América titles with the Argentine national team, and national titles in Spain, France, and the United States.
After developing most of his career at Barcelona and later moving to Paris Saint-Germain, the forward signed with Inter Miami in 2023. His arrival in American football increased the international profile of the competition.
Beyond the playing fields, the jury has highlighted the work of the Leo Messi Foundation, focused on educational and health projects aimed at children and adolescents in vulnerable situations.
Patti Smith, Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts
Patti Smith (Chicago, 1946) is one of the artists who contributed to transforming popular music during the 1970s. Singer, songwriter, poet, and writer, her career connects rock with literature and American countercultural movements.
Her first album, Horses, released in 1975, is considered a fundamental work in the development of punk and alternative rock. Songs like Because the Night later expanded her international recognition.
The artist has also developed an important literary career. Her book Just Kids, published in 2010, reconstructs her youth in New York and her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. The work received the National Book Award for nonfiction in the United States.
The jury has distinguished her ability to combine music, poetry, and critical thought, as well as her influence on several generations of artists.
Studio Ghibli, Communication and Humanities Award
The Japanese studio Studio Ghibli, founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki, receives the Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities for its contribution to animated cinema and its ability to convey ideas and emotions through stories aimed at audiences of different ages.
Among its most well-known productions are My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), and Howl's Moving Castle (2004).
Spirited Away won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003, while The Boy and the Heron, also directed by Miyazaki, received the same recognition in 2024.
The studio's films address issues such as the relationship between humans and nature, the consequences of war, childhood, and coexistence. The jury has particularly valued its ability to turn animation into a tool for communication and knowledge.
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Studio Ghibli, Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities 2026
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Timothy Garton Ash, Social Sciences Award
Timothy Garton Ash (London, 1955) is a British historian, journalist, and essayist specialized in the contemporary history of Europe, democratic transitions, and freedom of expression.
His intellectual trajectory is closely linked to the events that transformed Europe during the last decades of the 20th century. He studied on the ground the political evolution of Central and Eastern European countries, especially during the decline of communist regimes and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Professor of European Studies at the University of Oxford, he has published numerous essays on the relationships between democracy, freedom, and power. Among his works stand out The Fruits of Adversity, History of the Present, and Freedom of Speech.
The jury has recognized his contribution to the knowledge of European history and his defense of democratic values. His works also examine the risks posed by authoritarianism, populism, and restrictions on freedom of expression.
Julian Barnes, Princess of Asturias Award for Literature
The British writer Julian Barnes (Leicester, 1946) receives the Princess of Asturias Award for Literature for a literary work that explores memory, the passage of time, human relationships, and the construction of identity.
Barnes gained international recognition with novels such as The Parrot of Flaubert (1984), in which he combines fiction, biography, and literary reflection. He later published works such as England, England, Arthur & George, and The Sense of an Ending.
This last novel earned him the Booker Prize in 2011, one of the most important literary recognitions in the Anglo-Saxon sphere.
His writing is characterized by the use of irony, narrative experimentation, and reflection on the distance between memories and real events. The jury has highlighted his ability to address universal issues such as love, loss, and identity.
Christina Koch, Princess of Asturias Award for Concord
Christina Koch (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1979) is an American engineer and NASA astronaut whose career is linked to space research and the expansion of human presence beyond Earth.
In 2019 she began a stay at the International Space Station that lasted for 328 days, thus establishing the record for continuous stay in space for a woman.
That same year she participated alongside Jessica Meir in the first spacewalk conducted exclusively by women, a significant event in the history of space exploration.
Koch was selected to be part of the Artemis II mission, designed to take a crew around the Moon and prepare for future expeditions to its surface.
The jury has recognized his career as an example of international scientific cooperation and overcoming barriers in space exploration. His selection for the Concordia Award also underscores the collective dimension of great scientific missions.
David Klenerman, Shankar Balasubramanian, and Pascal Mayer, Scientific and Technical Research Award
The Princess of Asturias Award for Scientific and Technical Research jointly distinguishes David Klenerman, Shankar Balasubramanian, and Pascal Mayer, researchers whose work has been fundamental for the development of new DNA sequencing technologies.
The scientists contributed to developing methods that allow reading large amounts of genetic information more quickly and economically than previous techniques.
Klenerman and Balasubramanian, linked to the University of Cambridge, participated in the development of technologies that led to sequencing systems widely used in laboratories around the world. Mayer made fundamental contributions to the massive DNA analysis procedures.
These advances have had direct consequences for biomedical research, the diagnosis of genetic diseases, the identification of alterations related to cancer, and the study of microorganisms.
They have also expanded the possibilities of personalized medicine by facilitating the analysis of the genetic characteristics of each patient.
The jury has recognized their contribution to a technological transformation that has profoundly modified scientific research and clinical practice.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault, International Cooperation Award
The Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation recognizes the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a facility located in the Norwegian archipelago of the same name, within the Arctic Circle.
Inaugurated in 2008, its function is to conserve backup copies of seeds from genetic banks of different countries. The goal is to protect global agricultural diversity against wars, natural disasters, accidents, and other circumstances that may cause the disappearance of plant varieties.
The facility is excavated in a mountain and takes advantage of the low temperatures of the Arctic environment, along with refrigeration systems, to ensure adequate long-term conservation conditions.
The project works through cooperation between the Government of Norway, the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen), and the international organization Crop Trust.
Its importance lies in the fact that the genetic diversity of crops is essential for developing varieties capable of resisting diseases, pests, and changes in climatic conditions.
The jury has highlighted the international character of this initiative, which allows for the preservation of agricultural resources fundamental to the food security of future generations.
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Princess of Asturias Awards 2026: Leonor presides for the first time over events without the Kings
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Eight awards to recognize culture, science, and cooperation
The 2026 edition brings together very different profiles: from a global football star to researchers who have transformed the study of the human genome, including writers, artists, and projects dedicated to conserving the agricultural heritage of the planet.
The Princess of Asturias Awards, created in 1981, reach this year their 46th edition. Each of the eight categories recognizes relevant contributions in fields that encompass the arts, humanities, sciences, sports, and international cooperation.
The ceremony this Friday will feature interventions by Patti Smith, Julian Barnes, Timothy Garton Ash, and Christina Koch, in addition to the institutional speeches by Princess Leonor and Felipe VI.