The Princess of Asturias Awards 2026 celebrate this Friday, October 23, their 46th edition at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, with a ceremony that will begin at 18:30 hours. The Asturian capital once again becomes the stage for one of the main cultural and institutional events of the year, which will have the participation of the Kings, Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía.
The footballer Leo Messi, singer Patti Smith, writer Julian Barnes, and astronaut Christina Koch are among the awardees of an edition that also recognizes the Japanese animation studio Studio Ghibli, historian Timothy Garton Ash, three scientific researchers, and the Global Seed Vault of Svalbard.
When and where are the Princess of Asturias Awards 2026 held
The award ceremony will take place on Friday, October 23, starting at 18:30 hours, at the Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo. The event will be presided over by Felipe VI and Letizia, accompanied by Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía.
As usual, the ceremony will include speeches from representatives of the awardees and institutional speeches. This year, it is expected that Julian Barnes, Christina Koch, Timothy Garton Ash, and Patti Smith will speak, in addition to Princess Leonor and Felipe VI.
The day will begin several hours earlier at the Hotel de la Reconquista, where the official audiences will be held. One of the main novelties will be the prominence of Leonor, who will receive the awardees of this edition for the first time alone at 12:30 hours, in the Covadonga Hall.
Who are the winners of the Princess of Asturias Awards 2026
The Princess of Asturias Foundation has awarded this year eight prizes, corresponding to the different categories of the awards.
| Category | Awardees |
|---|---|
| Arts | Patti Smith |
| Communication and Humanities | Studio Ghibli |
| Social Sciences | Timothy Garton Ash |
| Letters | Julian Barnes |
| Sports | Leo Messi |
| Scientific and Technical Research | David Klenerman, Shankar Balasubramanian, and Pascal Mayer |
| International Cooperation | Global Seed Vault of Svalbard |
| Concordia | Christina Koch |
Among the most well-known names is Leo Messi, one of the most awarded footballers in history, recognized in the Sports category. The Argentine also features in one of the most anticipated meetings of the week, with students and young people at the Palacio de los Deportes in Oviedo.
In the cultural sphere, Patti Smith stands out, a fundamental reference of rock and contemporary poetry, alongside Studio Ghibli, the Japanese studio responsible for films like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Boy and the Heron. The literary recognition falls on the British novelist Julian Barnes, while the historian Timothy Garton Ash receives the award for Social Sciences.
The scientific research is represented by David Klenerman, Shankar Balasubramanian, and Pascal Mayer, whose work has contributed to the development of genetic sequencing technologies. For its part, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault receives the recognition for International Cooperation for its work in conserving agricultural diversity, while the American astronaut Christina Koch receives the Prize for Concord.
Schedules of the Princess of Asturias Awards 2026
The official agenda of the Royal Family is concentrated between Thursday, October 22, and Saturday, October 24:
| Date and time | Event |
|---|---|
| Thursday 22, 19:00 | Awards Concert at the Príncipe Felipe Auditorium |
| Friday 23, 11:20 | Audience of Leonor and Sofía with the awardees of the Degree Completion of the University of Oviedo |
| Friday 23, 11:40 | Audience with the awardees of the Asturias distinctions |
| Friday 23, 12:30 | Leonor receives the awardees alone |
| Friday 23, 12:50 | Audience of the Royal Family with jurors and patrons |
| Friday 23, 18:30 | Award ceremony at the Teatro Campoamor |
| Saturday 24, 12:00 | Delivery of the Award to the Exemplary People of Asturias in Llanes |
Where to watch the Princess of Asturias Awards 2026
RTVE will be responsible for producing the institutional signal of the ceremony, which will begin on Friday at 18:30 hours. Televisión Española will distribute the images of the event, while Radio Nacional de España will provide the audio signal.
Images of the audience of Princess Leonor with the awardees, scheduled for 12:30 hours, will also be offered. The Princess of Asturias Foundation will also broadcast the press conferences of the awardees through its website.
The role of Princess Leonor in the 2026 awards
This year's ceremony will have a special meaning for Princess Leonor, who will assume new institutional responsibilities during her visit to Asturias.
The heir to the Crown will preside for the first time alone over the audience for the awardees, a meeting that until now was held with the participation of the Kings. The reception will take place on Friday, October 23 at 12:30 PM at the Hotel de la Reconquista.
Leonor will also deliver a speech during the ceremony at the Teatro Campoamor and will participate, along with her parents and her sister, in the presentation of the Exemplary People of Asturias Award on Saturday. There she will again speak before the neighbors and representatives of the awarded locality.
The increase in her prominence responds to the process of the princess's gradual incorporation into the institutional representation functions of the Crown.
Exemplary People of Asturias Award 2026
The Cofradía de Pescadores Santa Ana, from Llanes, has been distinguished with the Exemplary People of Asturias Award 2026.
The recognition is part of the distinctions granted by the Princess of Asturias Foundation to communities and groups that stand out for their contribution to the conservation of heritage, the care of the environment, and the social and economic life of their localities.
The presentation will take place on Saturday, October 24 at 12:00 PM, with the attendance of the Kings, Princess Leonor, and Infanta Sofía. The visit will include an intervention by the heir to the Crown and will provide the institutional closure to the events of this edition.