Who Are Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai? Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 Winners Announced
Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry 'for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis,' the Nobel committee announced on Wednesday.
Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis," the award-giving body announced on Wednesday. The chemistry prize is always the third Nobel to be announced during Nobel week, coming after the medicine and physics prizes that were declared on Monday and Tuesday. Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, described this year's award as recognition of foundational chemistry, explaining the idea at the heart of the work through the concept of chiral molecules.
Linke said, "So this year's prize is about foundational chemistry. Many molecules occur in two different versions. Like my hands. They are one another's mirror image, they look alike, but they are not identical. I cannot put my hands on top of one another. Such molecules are called chiral, from the Greek word for hand," Linke said. Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026 Winners: Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel Win Nobel Award for Optogenetics.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2026 Awarded to Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai for Discovery of Non-Linear Effects and Autocatalysis
BREAKING NEWS
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2026 #NobelPrize in Chemistry to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai “for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.” https://t.co/nH090ql1Xc
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 7, 2026
Prize Money and Ceremony
The laureates will share 12 million Swedish crowns (USD 1.2 million), along with the prestige of winning arguably the world's most prestigious science award.
They will receive their medals from Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. A lavish banquet at Stockholm City Hall follows the awards. Francis Halzen Wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for IceCube Neutrino Observatory Discoveries.
Last Year's Chemistry Winners
The 2025 chemistry prize went to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi for developing metal-organic frameworks. These molecular constructions can help tackle challenges such as climate change and lack of fresh water.
History of the Nobel Prizes
Established in the will of Swedish inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel, the prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace have been awarded since 1901, with a few interruptions mostly due to the world wars. Nobel, a chemist by trade, built huge wealth in the 19th century from inventions primarily tied to warfare, most notably dynamite. The economics prize is a later addition funded by the Swedish central bank.
The chemistry awards are sometimes overshadowed by the more famous laureates in physics, literature and peace, but they have recognised many influential discoveries, such as nuclear fission and genetic sequencing techniques.
The peace prize is the only Nobel not presented in Sweden, and is awarded separately in Oslo.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 07, 2026 04:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
