National Prize for Arts and Sciences (Mexico)


The National Prize for Arts and Sciences is awarded annually by the Government of Mexico in six categories. It is part of the Mexican Honours System and was established in 1945 by President Manuel Ávila Camacho to promote the country's artistic, scientific, and technological advancement.
It is awarded yearly to one or more persons that meets the conditions of the prize, in one of the following categories:
  • Linguistics and literature
  • Fine Arts
  • History, Social Sciences and Philosophy
  • Popular arts and traditions
  • Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences
  • Technology and Design
In the case of the Popular arts and traditions category, the prize can also be awarded to groups, non-governmental organizations and institutions.
In 2015, the prize was divided between National Prize for Arts and Literature and National Prize for Science – José Mario Molina Pasquel y Henríquez. The former is awarded by the Secretariat of Culture and the latter by Secretariat of Public Education.
The prize is a gold medal, a rosette, a diploma signed by the President of Mexico and over $823,313.95 pesos.
Prior to 1945, a National Literature Prize was established by the Secretariat of Public Education, which ceased to be awarded after the creation of the present prize.
In a controversial move, in 2020 Bertha Cecilia Navarro y Solares, movie producer, was awarded an ″extraordinary distinction.″
''For a complete list of winners in tabular format, see the corresponding article in Spanish.''

Linguistics and literature

Lingüística y Literatura

Fine arts

Bellas Artes

History, Social Sciences, and Philosophy

Historia, Ciencias Sociales y Filosofía

Popular Arts and Traditions

Artes y Tradiciones Populares
Awards in this field were first presented in 1984 and are the only ones that can be given to institutions and individuals.
María" music band from Tlayacapan, Morelos

Physics, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences

Ciencias Físico-Matemáticas y Naturales

Technology and Design

Tecnología y Diseño