Celebrities, scientists and CEOs attended the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.
The event, which dubs itself as the Oscars of the sciences, honors prize winners who are distinguished in and have made advancements in three categories: mathematics, fundamental physics and life sciences. Founded by Google cofounder Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, DST Global founder Yuri Milner and Julia Milner, and 23andMe cofounder Anne Wojcicki, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation lists its mission as “celebrating individual achievement and honoring scientists as heroes of our society, inspiring the next generation of scientists, championing science for the benefit of all as a global, apolitical organization.”
In attendance were Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Zoe Saldaña, Salma Hayek, Oscar Isaac, Robert Downey Jr., Naomi Watts, Billy Crudup, Jessica Chastain, Ron Howard, Michelle Yeoh, Gigi Hadid, Lionel Richie and many others. Olympian Eileen Gu was also an attendee, as were musicians Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Ava Max.
Alongside the A-Listers were tech CEOs like Sam Altman (OpenAI), Evan Spiegel (Snap), Adam Mosseri (Instagram) and Bill Gates.
Now in its 14th year, this year’s life science prizes honored work that has led to gene therapies for inherited blindness, sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, and identified a key genetic cause of ALS and frontotemporal dementia. Scientists recognized in physics and mathematics have constructed theories of the fundamental forces of nature, and examined the mathematical behavior of waves, respectively.
Six $3 million prizes were awarded, with the recipients as follows:
Life sciences — Jean Bennett, Katherine A. High and Albert Maguire; Stuart H. Orkin and Swee Lay Thein; Rosa Rademakers and Bryan Traynor
Mathematics — Frank Merle
Fundamental physics — Muon g-2 Collaborations at CERN, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Fermilab
Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics — David J. Gross
Below, see photos of those who attended the ceremony:
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Anne Hathaway attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Anne Hathaway attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
(L-R) Adam Shulman and Anne Hathaway attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Octavia Spencer attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Jessica Chastain attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Oscar Isaac attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Zoe Saldaña attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Olivia Wilde attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Salma Hayek attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Salma Hayek attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Ben Affleck attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Michelle Williams attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
(L-R) Echo Quan and Ke Huy Quan attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Gayle King attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
(L-R) Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr. attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Ron Howard attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
(L-R) Billy Crudup and Naomi Watts attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
(L-R) Brian Grazer and Veronica Smiley Grazer attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
(L-R) Arthur Phillips and Barbara Muschietti attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Andy Muschietti attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
(L-R) Shawn Levy and Serena Levy attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
(L-R) Katharine McPhee Foster and David Foster attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Alex Honnold attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Orlando Bloom attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Gigi Hadid attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Patty Jenkins attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Michelle Yeoh attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California. ()
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Eileen Gu attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Ava Max attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Rob Lowe and Sheryl Berkoff attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Adam Levine attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
(L-R) Paris Hilton and Carter Reum attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
John Legend attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Chrissy Teigen attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California. ()
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Lionel Richie attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
(L-R) Charlie McDowell and Lily Collins attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Breakthrough Prize
Christina Aguilera attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Gal Gadot attends the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
(L-R) Edward Norton and Shauna Robertson attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony – Arrivals
Image Credit: Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
(L-R) Darren Aronofsky and Alice Lloyd George attend the 12th Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at Barker Hangar on April 18, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.