Adrian Hamers is a leading expert in the area of the evolution of high-order multiple systems such as triple and quadruple (star) systems. He has made major contributions to the development of innovative numerical tools to study these systems, and investigate their evolution with implications for gravitational wave sources, supernovae, and exoplanets.

Dr Vincent Bourrier (University of Geneva, Switzerland) For his outstanding theoretical and observational work on star-planet interaction and atmospheric escape, which has led to the first live insights into the erosion of atmospheres of low-mass exoplanets, the coupling between the atmospheric and orbital evolution, and innovative techniques to exploit exoplanet observations to bring new insights on stellar physics.

Dr Elisabeth Krause (University of Arizona, USA) For pioneering contributions to the extraction of cosmological insights from large galaxy surveys, including modeling key observables, covariance matrix estimation, and the development of cosmological analysis tools, which have ushered in a new era of multi-probe cosmology and set a new standard for forthcoming experiments.

Dr Pratika Dayal (University of Groningen, NL) for her work as a theorist, combining analytic theory, numerical simulations and data interpretation, which has significantly contributed to building tantalising bridges between fields as diverse as astrophysics, particle cosmology and astrobiology.

Dr Nikku Madhusudhan (University of Cambridge, UK) for his pioneering and outstanding contributions to the characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres which have led to the first insights into various physical processes and chemical compositions of exoplanetary atmospheres, and have laid the foundations for understanding planetary formation and migration based on exoplanetary atmospheric compositions.

Dr Sylvain Guiriec (University of Maryland, USA) for his insightful and innovative contributions towards understanding the nature of Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) prompt emission, in particular the establishment of multi-component spectra, and the discovery of a new Peak Energy – Luminosity relation showing that GRBs can be used as standard candles and thereby as unique cosmological probes.

Dr Nanda Rea (University of Amsterdam, NL) for her valuable contribution to the study of neutron stars. In particular for the discovery that magnetars can have low dipolar magnetic fields in line with the normal pulsar population, at variance with the long-standing belief that the electron critical magnetic field was a lower limit for magnetar-activity to take place.

Dr. Alicia Soderberg (Harvard University, USA) for discovering of new classes of explosions in the Universe across the electromagnetic spectrum, including the first X-ray flare associated with a shock breakout in a supernovae (SN 2008D), and the first luminous radio emission from a supernova (SN 2009bb) which requires a substantial relativistic outflow powered by a central engine without an observed gamma-ray burst.

Dr. Alexander J. van der Horst (Astronomical Institute `Anton Pannekoek’, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands) for the insightful and very diverse work in elucidating the nature of and high-energy emission processes in gamma-ray bursts and soft gamma repeaters; especially for his skillful analysis of data from very different space- and ground- based instruments and the furthering of our theoretical understanding of those data in terms of physics of the sources.

Dr. Daisuke Nagai (Yale University, USA) for ground-breaking research that has significantly improved our understanding of the structure and evolution of galaxy clusters and their application for cosmology, through the use of novel computer simulations and the development of techniques that control systematic uncertainties due to non-linear astrophysical processes.

Dr. Poonam Chandra (Royal Military College of Canada, Canada) for her work on radio detection of distant gamma ray bursts and supernovae.

Dr. Thomas Schweizer (Max Planck Institute, Munich, Germany) for his work on the MAGIC project and the first Crab pulsar detection at gamma energies above 25 GeV.

Dr. Eiichiro Komatsu (University of Texas, Austin, USA) for his work on the interpretation of the cosmic microwave background data, first from COBE (COsmic Background Explorer) and more recently from WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe), especially exploring limits of non-gaussianity of the cosmic microwave background.

Marta Burgay (Cagliary Astronomical Observatory, INAF-OAC, Italy) for her discovery and characterisation of the first double pulsar, PSR J0737-3039A and B.