Awards of the British Academy


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:
Discipline-specific awards:

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 It is awarded annually to an individual or group "for excellence in political science, as displayed in an unpublished essay".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:
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 and treasurer 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.

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".
List of recipients:
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:
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 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
  • 2015: William Labov, "for his significant contribution to linguistics and the language sciences"
  • 2016: Sir John Lyons FBA, "for his outstanding lifetime contribution to the field of linguistics"
  • 2017: Bernard Comrie FBA, "for his significant contributions to the study of language universals, linguistic typology and language history"
  • 2018: Barbara Partee FBA, for "her leading contributions to the study of semantics, syntax and pragmatics".
  • 2019: Deirdre Wilson FBA
  • 2020: Paul Kiparsky FBA, for "his research on phonology and historical linguistics".
  • 2021: Marianne Mithun
  • 2022: Sheila Blumstein
  • 2023: Eva Hajičová
  • 2024: Paula Fikkert, for "her research into phonological change over time, both in language acquisition and historical change".
  • 2025: Nicholas Evans (linguist), for "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.
List of recipients:
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. 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."
List of recipients:
The Sir Israel Gollancz Prize was created in 1924 as the Biennial Prize for English Literature. The name was changed to honour Israel Gollancz after his death in 1930. It is "awarded biennially for work connected with Anglo-Saxon, Early English Language and Literature, English Philology, or the History of English Language". It is worth £400.

Wiley Prize in Economics

The Wiley Prize in Economics was established in 2013 and is sponsored by the publisher Wiley; awarded annually, it recognises "achievement in research by an outstanding early career economist." The recipient is awarded £5,000.
List of recipients
The Wiley Prize in Psychology was established in 2009 and is made in partnership with the publisher Wiley; awarded annually, it recognises "lifetime achievement by an outstanding international scholar and promising early-career work by a UK-based psychologist, within 5 years of receipt of their doctorate." The award is given out to the former in odd years and the latter in even years. The recipient is awarded £5,000.
List of recipients