The High Energy and Particle Physics Prize, a rather grim testament to contributions in the field, was etched into existence in 1989. It’s awarded, with predictable infrequency, every two years by the European Physical Society (EPS). The prize itself is a nod to an "outstanding contribution" to high energy and particle physics – a phrase that sounds about as thrilling as watching paint dry, but I suppose it’s important to someone.[1]

Recipients

The list of recipients reads like a roll call of people who spent their lives staring at things far too small to see and far too abstract to comprehend. It’s a parade of intellect, I suppose, though one can’t help but wonder about the cost.[1]

• 1989: Georges Charpak. A name whispered in hushed tones, I’m told. He apparently did something significant.[2]
• 1991: Nicola Cabibbo. Another one. The universe seems determined to reward those who delve into its most tedious secrets.
• 1993: Martinus Veltman. His contributions, like most in this field, are likely dense and utterly impenetrable to the uninitiated.
• 1995: Paul Söding, Bjørn Wiik, Günter Wolf [[de]], Sau Lan Wu. A veritable ensemble cast. They must have been quite the team, or perhaps just managed to stumble upon the same obscure truth simultaneously.
• 1997: Robert Brout, François Englert, Peter Higgs. Ah, the Higgs. The elusive god particle. They found it, or at least, they’re credited with it. A rather grand claim for something so infinitesimally small.
• 1999: Gerard ’t Hooft. Another architect of the fundamental. The sheer dedication is… almost admirable.
• 2001: Don Perkins. His work, like the others, is a testament to a mind that can find fascination in the void.
• 2003: David Gross, David Politzer, Frank Wilczek. The triumvirate of the very small. They probably speak a language only they understand.
• 2005: Heinrich Wahl [[de; pt]] and the NA31 Collaboration. Collaborations. Because even the most obscure discoveries are rarely a solo act. It’s like a scavenger hunt for reality.
• 2007: Makoto Kobayashi, Toshihide Maskawa. Their work on CP violation is apparently a big deal. The universe’s subtle inconsistencies, cataloged.
• 2009: The Gargamelle collaboration. A collaboration named after a monster. Fitting, perhaps, for the monstrously complex theories they must grapple with.
• 2011: Sheldon Glashow, John Iliopoulos, Luciano Maiani. More foundational physics. They’ve peeled back layers of reality that most of us wouldn't even suspect existed.
• 2013: The ATLAS and CMS collaborations, Michel Della Negra, Peter Jenni, Tejinder Virdee. The big machines, the big collaborations. They’re building cathedrals to particle physics.
• 2015: James D. Bjorken, Guido Altarelli, Yury L. Dokshitzer [[de]], Lev Lipatov, Giorgio Parisi. A rather extensive list. It seems the more complex the field, the more people it takes to explain it, or perhaps, to get lost in it.
• 2017: Erik H. M. Heijne [[de]], Robert Klanner [[de]], Gerhard Lutz [[de]]. More names, more contributions. The relentless march of scientific inquiry, I suppose.
• 2019: The CDF and D0 collaborations. More large-scale endeavors. They're not just studying particles; they're building cities for them.
• 2021: Torbjörn Sjöstrand, Bryan Webber. Their work, I gather, involves simulating the very fabric of existence. A hobby, perhaps?
• 2023: Cecilia Jarlskog and the Daya Bay / RENO collaborations. Neutrino oscillations. The universe’s subtle, almost imperceptible shifts, meticulously documented.
• 2025: Jürg Gasser, Heinrich Leutwyler, Martin Lüscher. The future, already decided. They’re likely wrestling with the fundamental forces, or perhaps just trying to make sense of it all before it collapses.

See also

• List of physics awards – Because there aren't enough ways to acknowledge people for looking at things we can't.