The Heineman Prize for Astrophysics is awarded jointly by the American Institute of Physics and the American Astronomical Society and is funded by the Heineman Foundation. It was established in 1979, to recognize outstanding work in the field of astrophysics. No restrictions are placed on a candidate's citizenship or country of residency.

The official announcement of the Prize is made through the American Institute of Physics' Office of Public Relations.

The prize is presented to the recipient at one of the semi-annual meetings of the AAS, after discussion between the awardee and the AAS Executive Office. At this meeting, the recipient is invited, but not required, to deliver a lecture on the subject for which the Prize was awarded. Travel expenses incurred by the recipient to attend the meeting are reimbursed by the American Institute of Physics from funds provided by the Heineman Foundation.

Year Recipient
2013 Rachel Somerville
2012 Chryssa Kouveliotou
2011 Robert P. Kirshner
2010 Edward Kolb, Michael S. Turner
2009 Lennox L. Cowie
2008 Andrew C. Fabian
2007 Robert Kennicutt
2006 Marc Davis
2005 George Efstathiou, Simon White
2004 Bruce T. Draine
2003 Rashid Sunyaev
2002 J. Richard Bond
2001 Bruce G. Elmegreen
2000 Frank H. Shu
1999 Kenneth C. Freeman
1998 Roger D. Blandford
1997 Scott D. Tremaine
1996 Roger A. Chevalier
1995 Jerry E. Nelson
1994 John N. Bahcall
1993 John C. Mather
1992 Bohdan Paczynski
1991 Wallace L. W. Sargent
1990 Richard McCray
1989 Carl E. Heiles
1988 James E. Gunn
1987 David L. Lambert
1986 Hyron Spinrad
1985 Sandra M. Faber
1984 Martin J. Rees
1983 Irwin I. Shapiro
1982 P. James E. Peebles
1981 Riccardo Giacconi
1980 Joseph H. Taylor, Jr.