Vilcek Prizes

The Vilcek Prizes are awarded annually to immigrants who have made lasting contributions to American society.

Awarded in two categories: biomedical science and a rotating category in the arts and humanities
Unrestricted cash award of $100,000

In 2023, the Vilcek Prizes are awarded in biomedical science and music. Previous categories include dance, filmmaking, literature, culinary arts, architecture, design, visual arts, and theatre.

Selection Process

The foundation appoints nominators, experts in their fields, and asks them to submit the names of potential award winners to two juries: one composed of medical researchers, and the other, experts in the cultural discipline under consideration for the current year. Each jury selects one award winner and submits its recommendation to the Vilcek Foundation’s Board of Directors for final approval.

Vilcek Prizewinners receive a $100,000 cash award and a trophy, uniquely designed for each winner by Stefan Sagmeister. The foundation presents the Vilcek Prizes in an awards ceremony each spring in New York City.

The Vilcek Foundation regrets that, due to staffing limitations, it cannot respond to unsolicited nominations.

A photo of the 2020 Vilcek Prize trophy.

Previous Vilcek Prizewinners

Ruth Lehmann receives the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for unraveling the molecular basis by which germ cells, which give rise to sperm and egg cells, are formed.

Portrait of Ruth Lehmann

Rodrigo Prieto receives the Vilcek Prize in Filmmaking for his virtuosity and versatility—the sheer excellence and inventiveness of his work across styles and genres—and his central role in creating some of contemporary cinema’s most indelible works.

Portrait of Rodrigo Prieto

Xiaowei Zhuang receives the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for developing super-resolution microscopy and genome-scale imaging to directly visualize the structures, activities, and expression profiles of life-sustaining molecules in cells.

Portrait of Xiaowei Zhuang

Edwidge Danticat receives the Vilcek Prize in Literature for dazzling prose and profound understanding of our shared human condition embodied through her genre-spanning work that explores the Haitian diaspora and other personal narratives.

Portrait of Edwidge Danticat

Angelika Amon (1967-2020) receives the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for groundbreaking research on the molecular signals that regulate cell growth and division, and how errors in these processes contribute to birth defects and cancer.

Portrait of Angelika Amon

Marcus Samuelsson receives the Vilcek Prize in Culinary Arts for culinary excellence and artistry, as well as creative, impactful engagement with a wide range of social issues through culinary arts.

Portrait of Marcus Samuelsson

Alexander Rudensky receives the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for fundamental molecular insights on the workings of a type of immune cell with a breathtaking array of functions—in autoimmune disease, inflammatory disorders, and cancer.

Portrait of Alexander Rudensky

Teddy Cruz receives the Vilcek Prize in Architecture for creating designs and concepts that make border communities more inclusive and equitable.

Portrait of Teddy Cruz

Lily and Yuh-Nung Jan receive the Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science for identifying genes and principles underlying the development and wiring of the nervous system, and for uncovering the genetic underpinnings of the mechanism by which cells shuttle ions, a crucial process for a variety of body functions.

Portrait of Lily and Yuh-Nung Jan

Nari Ward receives the Vilcek Prize in Fine Arts for a body of found-object assemblage artwork that invites both a public discourse and an intimate dialogue with viewers on topics such as race, poverty, immigration, and the Caribbean diaspora identity.

Portrait of Nari Ward