Mohn Prize 2026
The Mohn Prize has been attributed to Prof. John Smol from Queen’s University in Canada.
The Mohn Prize will be awarded on February 4th, 2026 at the Arctic Frontiers 2026 conference – Turn of the Tide.
Tune into the Big Picture session Building Up the Arctic to watch the award ceremony and to the Mohn Prize Laureate Seminar for an in-depth presentation from Prof. Smol.
Read more: The Mohn Prize | UiT
Mohn Prize
The Mohn prize is awarded to an individual or to a research group who has:
published excellent research related to the Arctic
holds a leading position internationally in her/his/their field of research
has brought to light groundbreaking new knowledge related to nature and/or culture in the Arctic
The Mohn Prize is collaboration by Academia Borealis The Academy of Sciences and Letters of Northern Norway (NNVA), Tromsø Research Foundation (TFS), and UiT The Arctic University of Norway (UiT). The prize amounts to 2 million NOK.
Mohn Prize 2024
At Arctic Frontiers 2024: Actions & Reactions, the Mohn Prize was awarded to Professor Oran Young. Oran Young is professor emeritus at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California Santa Barbara. His research focuses on theoretical issues relating to the roles social institutions play as elements of governance systems, with applications to the atmosphere, the oceans, and the polar regions. Through his career he worked to support and develop the Arctic Council.
The award was presented by the Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre during a plenary session of Arctic Frontiers. Read about the Prime Minister’s speech here.
Professor Young also joined the opening plenary session at Arctic Frontiers 2024. Watch the session here.
