The British Academy presents 18 awards and medals to recognise achievement in the humanities and social sciences.
Overview The British Academy currently awards 18 prizes and medals:
General awards: British Academy Medal (for academic research that has "transformed understanding" of a field of the humanities or social sciences) The President's Medal (for "outstanding service" to the humanities or social sciences) Leverhulme Medal and Prize (for "significant contribution to knowledge or understanding" in a field of the humanities or social sciences)
Discipline-specific awards:
Brian Barry Prize in Political Science Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies Derek Allen Prize (for numismatics, Celtic studies or musicology) Edward Ullendorff Medal (for Semitic languages and Ethiopian studies) Grahame Clark Medal (for prehistoric archaeology) Kenyon Medal (for classical studies and archaeology) Landscape Archaeology Medal British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding Neil and Saras Smith Medal for Linguistics Peter Townsend Prize (for the sociology of poverty, ageing or health) Rose Mary Crawshay Prize (for English literature scholarship; women only) Serena Medal (for Italian studies) Sir Israel Gollancz Prize (for English literature scholarship) Wiley Prize in Economics Wiley Prize in Psychology
Prizes and medals Brian Barry Prize in Political Science The Brian Barry Prize in Political Science is awarded jointly by the British Academy, the Cambridge University Press, and the British Journal of Political Science. It was named in honour of Brian Barry and first awarded in 2014. It is awarded annually to an individual or group "for excellence in political science, as displayed in an unpublished essay". The prize is £2500 and the winning essay is published in the British Journal of Political Science.
List of Recipients: 2014: Helder De Schutter and Dr Lea Ypi, for 'Mandatory Citizenship for Immigrants' 2015: Parashar Kulkarni, for 'Are There Cultural Prerequisites to Effective Property Rights?: Evidence from Inheritance Rights of Widows in Colonial India' 2016: William Roberts Clark, Professor Matt Golder, and Professor Sona N. Golder, for 'An Exit, Voice, and Loyalty Model of Politics' 2017: Jonathan White, for 'The Ethics of Political Alliance' 2018: Zeynep Pamuk, of St John's College, Oxford, for 'Justifying Public Funding for Science."Award-winning journalists, prehistorians and world-leading economists honoured with prestigious British Academy prizes and medals", The British Academy, 20 August 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018. 2019: Andre Santos Campos, for 'Representing the Future: The Interests of Future Persons in Representative Democracy' 2020: Jonathan Havercroft, for 'Why is there no just riot theory?'
British Academy Medal
The British Academy Medal was established in 2013. It is awarded annually "for academic research that has transformed understanding in a field of the humanities and social sciences".
Burkitt Medal
The Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies was established in 1923. It is awarded annually "in recognition of special service to Biblical Studies", with the area of study alternating between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.
Derek Allen Prize
The Derek Allen Prize was founded in 1976 to honour Derek Allen, FBA, who was secretary (1969–73) and treasurer (1973–75) of the British Academy; it was established by his widow and sons to recognise outstanding scholarly achievement in Allen's principal interests: numismatics, Celtic studies and musicology. Although awarded annually, the prize rotates between the three disciplines. Recipients are awarded £400."Derek Allen Prize", British Academy. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
Edward Ullendorff Medal The Edward Ullendorff Medal was created in 2012 to honour Professor Edward Ullendorff, FBA, who had died the previously year; its establishment was supported by his widow. Award annually, the medal recognizes "scholarly distinction and achievements in the field of Semitic Languages and Ethiopian Studies"."Edward Ullendorff Medal", British Academy. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
List of recipients:
2012: Simon Hopkins, FBA, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. 2013: Getatchew Haile, FBA, Hill Museum & Manuscript Library of Saint John's University, USA. 2014: David Appleyard, School of African and Oriental Studies. 2015: Siegbert Uhlig, University of Hamburg. 2016: Sebastian Brock, FBA, University of Oxford. 2017: Veronika Six, University of Hamburg. 2018: John Huehnergard, The University of Texas at Austin 2019: Michael Knibb, King's College London 2020: Otto Jastrow, "for his leading scholarship in the field of Arabic and Neo-Aramaic spoken dialects" 2021: Olga Kapeliuk 2022: Werner Diem, Cologne University 2023: Mauro Tosco, University of Turin 2024: Sebastian Brock, University of Oxford
Grahame Clark Medal
The Grahame Clark Medal endowed in 1992 by Sir Grahame Clark and first awarded in 1993. It is awarded every two years "for academic achievement involving recent contributions to the study of prehistoric archaeology".
Kenyon Medal
The Kenyon Medal was endowed by Sir Frederic Kenyon and awarded for the first time in 1957. It is awarded every two years "in recognition of work in the fields of classical studies and archaeology".
Landscape Archaeology Medal The Landscape Archaeology Medal is awarded every two years "for distinguished achievements in landscape archaeology". It was first awarded in 2007.
List of Recipients:
2007: Andrew Fleming 2009: Tony Wilkinson 2011: Conor Newman 2013: Christopher Taylor 2015: David Hall 2017: Tom Williamson, "for his significant contribution to the study of landscape history and archaeology" 2019: Dominic Powlesland 2020: Keith Branigan, "for his distinguished and varied career with many notable achievements in the study of Roman Britain and the prehistory of the Aegean" 2022: Charly French 2023: Carenza Lewis 2024: Sarah Semple 2025: Stephen RipponThe British Academy
Leverhulme Medal and Prize
The Leverhulme Medal and Prize was created 2002 and is sponsored by The Leverhulme Trust. It is awarded every three years "for significant contribution to knowledge and understanding in a field within the humanities and social sciences". It is worth £5000.
British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding
The British Academy Book Prize (formerly the Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize for Global Cultural Understanding) was established by Nayef Al-Rodhan in 2013. It is awarded annually for "outstanding scholarly contributions to global cultural understanding". It is worth £25,000.
Neil and Saras Smith Medal for Linguistics The Neil and Saras Smith Medal for Linguistics is awarded annually to an individual for "lifetime achievement in the scholarly study of linguistics". It was established by Neil Smith in 2013, and first awarded in 2014.
List of Recipients:
2014: Noam Chomsky FBA (MIT) 2015: William Labov (University of Pennsylvania), "for his significant contribution to linguistics and the language sciences" 2016: Sir John Lyons FBA (Trinity Hall, Cambridge), "for his outstanding lifetime contribution to the field of linguistics" 2017: Bernard Comrie FBA (University of California, Santa Barbara), "for his significant contributions to the study of language universals, linguistic typology and language history" 2018: Barbara Partee FBA (University of Massachusetts Amherst), for "her leading contributions to the study of semantics, syntax and pragmatics". 2019: Deirdre Wilson FBA (University College London) 2020: Paul Kiparsky FBA (Stanford University), for "his research on phonology and historical linguistics". 2021: Marianne Mithun (University of California, Santa Barbara) 2022: Sheila Blumstein (Brown University) 2023: Eva Hajičová (Charles University, Prague) 2024: Paula Fikkert (Radboud University Nijmegen), for "her research into phonological change over time, both in language acquisition (first and second) and historical change". 2025: Nicholas Evans (linguist) (Australian National University), for "his long and distinguished career working on endangered languages, both documenting hitherto undescribed languages and exploring the consequences of such data for general linguistic theory".
Peter Townsend Prize The Peter Townsend Prize was created in 2011 to honour the sociologist Professor Peter Townsend, FBA, who had died in 2009. The prize is awarded biennially to recognise "outstanding work with policy relevance on a topic to which Townsend made a major contribution." Nominations are made for "a published work with policy relevance and academic merit on poverty and inequality; ageing and the lives of older people; disability and inequalities in health." The prize is awarded with £2,000."Peter Townsend Prize", British Academy. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
List of recipients:
2011: Julia Johnson, Sheena Rolph and Randall Smith for Residential Care Transformed: Revisiting 'The Last Refuge 2013: Tracy Shildrick, Professor Robert MacDonald, Colin Webster and Kayleigh Garthwaite for Poverty and Insecurity: Life in Low-Pay, No-Pay Britain 2015: Andrew Sayer for Why We Can't Afford the Rich 2017: Kayleigh Garthwaite for Hunger Pains: Life Inside Foodbank Britain 2019: Steven King for Writing the Lives of the English Poor 1750s-1830s 2021: John Stewart for Richard Titmuss: A Commitment to Welfare
President's Medal
The President's Medal is awarded annually by the British Academy to up to five individuals or organisations for "outstanding service to the cause of the humanities and social sciences". It was first award in 2010.
Rose Mary Crawshay Prize
The Rose Mary Crawshay Prize was created in 1888 as The Byron, Shelley, Keats In Memoriam Yearly Prize Fund by Rose Mary Crawshay (1828–1907). In 1914, the fund was transferred to the British Academy. The newly renamed Rose Mary Crawshay Prize was first awarded in 1916. It is awarded annually "for a historical or critical work on any subject connected with English Literature by a woman of any nationality" and is worth £500.
Serena Medal The Serena Medal was established in 1920 and is awarded annually for "eminent services towards the furtherance of the study of Italian history, philosophy or music, literature, art, or economics.""Serena Medal", British Academy. Retrieved 13 May 2018.List of recipients:"Winners of the Serena Medal", British Academy. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
1920 G. M. Trevelyan 1921 Paget Toynbee 1922 E. G. Gardner 1923 Horatio Brown 1924 Edward Hutton 1925 No award 1926 Edward Armstrong 1927 Benedetto Croce 1928 Giovanni Gentile 1929 No award 1930 Ettore Modigliani 1931 Countess Martinengo-Cesaresco 1932 Cesare Foligno 1933 Thomas Okey 1934 Rennell Rodd, 1st Baron Rennell 1935 Mario Praz 1936 No award 1937 Gaetano De Sanctis 1938 Eugénie Sellers Strong 1939 No award 1940 Evelyn Jamison 1941 G. F.-H. Berkeley 1942 Gaetano Salvemini 1943 Bernard Berenson 1944–45 No award 1946 Giovanni Poggi 1947 No award 1948 Sir George Hill 1949 No award 1950 Etienne Gilson 1951 Giuseppe Lugli 1952 No award 1953 Carlo Dionisotti 1954 Frederico Chabod 1955 Kenneth Clark 1956 Umberto Zanotti Bianco 1957 Rudolf Wittkower 1958 Paul Oskar Kristeller 1959 Bruno Nardi 1960 Denis Mack Smith 1961 Sir John Pope-Hennessy 1962 J. B. Ward-Perkins 1963 Johannes Wilde 1964 No award 1965 Axel Boethius 1966 Paola Zancani 1967 Edgar Wind 1968 Ludwig Heydenreich 1969 Roberto Weiss 1970 R. Longhi 1971 R. Bianchi Bandinelli 1972 J. Denis Mahon 1973 E. R. Vincent 1974 N. Rubinstein 1975 Eugenio Garin 1976 Cecil Grayson 1977 Augusto Campana 1978 Wolfgang Lotz 1979 John Shearman 1980 Massimo Pallottino 1981 Giulio Einaudi 1982 Paola Barocchi 1983 Franco Venturi 1984 J. H. Whitfield 1985 Francis Haskell 1986 Sir John Hale 1987 Christopher Seton-Watson 1988 Philip Jones 1989 Sir Harold Acton