Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy

The Warner Prize recognizes an early-career individual for a significant contribution made to observational or theoretical astronomy during the five years preceding the award. It is normally awarded annually.

Eligibility: 

  • Astronomer who has not attained 36 years of age in the year designated for the award OR who is within eight years of receipt of their PhD degree. Note: there is no consideration given to career interruptions.
    Example: for the 2027 prize, the recipient must have received their PhD in 2019 or later OR must have been born in 1992 or later. 
  • Resident of North America (including Hawaii and Puerto Rico), or a member of a North American institution stationed abroad, as of the date the award is announced (usually at the January AAS Meeting following selection)
  • No individual candidate is eligible for both the Warner and Pierce Prizes.

Criteria:

  • Significant contribution to observational or theoretical astronomy
  • Cited work done during the five years preceding the award

Self-nominations are allowed. For questions, please contact the AAS Secretary.

Nomination Deadline: 30 June

Nomination Process

View the Nomination Instructions
Submit Nomination

Support

Donate to the Helen B. Warner Prize Fund
Consider Volunteering to Serve on the Award Committee

Prize Winners

2026 - Kyle Kremer

For innovative theoretical work illuminating the dynamics of compact objects in dense stellar systems.

2025 - Susan Clark

For seminal contributions to understanding cosmic magnetism, and for development of innovative observational techniques for studying the interstellar medium and cosmological foregrounds.

2024 - Carl Rodriguez

For fundamental advances on the astrophysical origin of gravitational-wave sources.

2023 – Ana Bonaca

For innovative advances in our understanding of the hierarchical formation of the Milky Way and constraints on the galactic potential.

2022 – Brett McGuire

For pioneering research into complex astrophysical chemistry, including foundational work on chiral and aromatic molecules in the interstellar medium.
Rebekah Dawson

2021 – Rebekah Dawson

For her important contributions on planet formation and dynamics, particularly on hot Jupiter exoplanets and the connection between planetary composition and orbital structure.

2020 – Smadar Naoz

For her many contributions to theoretical astrophysics, especially her influential and creative studies in cosmology and dynamics.

2019 – Jo Bovy

For his contributions to our understanding of the structure and dynamics of the Milky Way and his work on forward modeling of large scientific data sets.

2018 – Yacine Ali-Haïmoud

For his extraordinary work on a broad array of cosmological problems. His insights into how to vastly speed up calculations of the effects of hydrogen recombination have proven critical to the interpretation of Planck data.

2017 – Charlie Conroy

For his work in modeling stellar populations and galaxy evolution.

2016 – Philip F. Hopkins

For his research on galaxy formation and evolution and the growth of supermassive black holes.

2015 – Ruth Murray-Clay

For her substantial contributions to numerous areas of astrophysics.

2014 – Christopher M. Hirata

For his remarkable theoretical and observational cosmological work, particularly that connected with weak gravitational lensing which is one of the most important ways of assessing the distribution of mass in the universe.