The winners of the 2025 RAS Awards were given their prizes at a special ceremony during the National Astronomy Meeting.
Awards and medals were handed out at the conference dinner at the Newcastle Civic Centre on 8 July, which was attended by around 450 people.
Professor James Binney, of Oxford University, and University College London's Professor Jonathan Tennyson, received the Society's Gold Medal.
In his acceptance speech, Professor Binney said: "We do this stuff in collaboration – that's one of the joys – and it's been an enormous privilege to be on the faculty of a distinguished university for now nearly half a century, benefitting from the contact of this endless stream of wonderful people, as well as colleagues and collaborators around the world. It's been such a pleasure."
Professor James Binney, of Oxford University, receives the RAS Gold Medal (A).
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Professor Jonathan Tennyson (left) receives the RAS Gold Medal (G) from RAS president Professor Mike Lockwood.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
The RAS Gold Medal.
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Professor David Alexander, chair of the NAM 2025 local organising committee, and Professor Karen O'Brien, vice-chancellor and warden of Durham University.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Professor Tennyson added: "This is a huge honour for someone who doesn't consider themselves either a geophysicist or astronomer, so I'm really happy to be here."
Both winners also thanked their wives for their support, while Professor Tennyson described NAM 2025 as a "fabulous conference".
Other medal winners were:
Eddington Medal (A): Emeritus Professor Douglas Heggie, University of Edinburgh
Chapman Medal (G): Dr Nigel Meredith, British Antarctic Survey
Herschel Medal (A): Emeritus Professor Ian Smail, Durham University
Price Medal (G): Dr Paola Pinilla, University College London
Jackson-Gwilt Medal (A): Professor Anna Moore, Australian National University
Professor Caitriona Jackman, of the DIAS Dunsink Observatory, and Professor Francesca Matteucci, of the University of Trieste, received honorary fellowships.
Emeritus Professor Douglas Heggie, of the University of Edinburgh, was awarded the Eddington Medal (A).
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Dr Nigel Meredith, of the British Antarctic Survey, recorded a video message after being awarded the Chapman Medal (G).
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Emeritus Professor Ian Smail, of Durham University, receives the Herschel Medal (A) from RAS president Professor Mike Lockwood.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Dr Paola Pinilla, of University College London, recorded a video message after being awarded the Price Medal (G).
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Professor Anna Moore, of Australian National University, is presented with the Jackson-Gwilt Medal (A) by RAS president Professor Mike Lockwood.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Professor Caitriona Jackman, of the DIAS Dunsink Observatory, receives her Honorary Fellowship from RAS president Professor Mike Lockwood.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Professor Francesca Matteucci, of the University of Trieste, gives a speech after receiving her Honorary Fellowships from the RAS.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Awards and medals were handed out during the conference dinner at the Newcastle Civic Centre, which was attended by around 450 people.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Other award winners included:
Fowler Award (A): Dr Hannah Wakeford, University of Bristol
Fowler Award (G): Dr John Coxon, Northumbria University
Early Career Award (A): Dr Steve Cunnington, University of Portsmouth, and Dr Niall Jeffrey, University College London
Early Career Award (G): Dr Giulia Magnarini, Natural History Museum, London
Group Achievement Award (A): European Pulsar Timing Array
Group Achievement Award (G): Met Office Space Weather Research Team
Service Award (A): Professor Francis Keenan, Queen's University Belfast
Service Award (G): Dr Dmitry Storchak, International Seismological Centre
Secondary Education Award: Dr Alex Calverley, Surbiton High School
Higher Education Award: Professor Andrew Norton, The Open University
Annie Maunder Medal: Amelia Jane Piper
Dr Hannah Wakeford, University of Bristol, receives the Fowler Award (A).
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Dr Steve Cunnington, of the University of Portsmouth, receives the Early Career Award (A) from RAS president Professor Mike Lockwood.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Dr Niall Jeffrey, of University College London, gives a speech after being awarded the Early Career Award (A).
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Dr Giulia Magnarini, of the Natural History Museum, London, receives the Early Career Award (G) from RAS president Professor Mike Lockwood.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Members of the European Pulsar Timing Array collect their Group Achievement Award (A).
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
The Met Office Space Weather Research Team receive the Group Achievement Award (G).
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Professor Francis Keenan, of Queen's University Belfast, receives the Service Award (A) from RAS president Professor Mike Lockwood.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Dr Dmitry Storchak, of the International Seismological Centre, is awarded the Service Award (G).
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Dr Alex Calverley, of Surbiton High School, gives a speech after receiving the Secondary Education Award.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Professor Andrew Norton, of The Open University, is awarded the Higher Education Award.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Amelia Jane Piper couldn't attend the ceremony but was awarded the Annie Maunder Medal.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
There were also three 'named' lectures awarded, to be delivered at a meeting of the Society:
George Darwin Lectureship: Dr Dimitri Veras, University of Warwick
James Dungey Lectureship: Dr Ryan Milligan, Queen's University Belfast
Harold Jeffreys Lectureship: Dr Andrew Valentine, Durham University
Dr Dimitri Veras, of the University of Warwick, is awarded the George Darwin Lectureship.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Dr Ryan Milligan, of Queen's University Belfast, delivers a recorded video message after being awarded the James Dungey Lectureship.
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Dr Andrew Valentine, of Durham University, is awarded the Harold Jeffreys Lectureship.
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Ian Russell, Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society, thanks the organisers of NAM 2025 and congratulates the winners of the 2025 RAS Awards.
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Attendees at the NAM 2025 conference dinner and RAS Awards ceremony applaud the winners.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
The winners and runners-up of the NAM 2025 Poster Prizes also received their certificates. They were:
OUP Student Prize
Winner: Sophie Jewell
Poster title: Merger-free BH-galaxy coevolution with DESI
Runner up: Lorenzo Demaria
Poster title: Modelling and fitting of background source continuum in molecular cloud ice spectra
RAS Post Doc Prize
Winner: Max von Wietersheim-Kramsta
Poster title: Forward-modelling the galaxy-halo connection
Runner up: Rebecca Houghton
Poster title: Searching for low-mass protostars in the Central Molecular Zone with JWST
Sophie Jewell is awarded the OUP Student Prize for her poster 'Merger-free BH-galaxy coevolution with DESI'.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Lorenzo Demaria receives a runner up certificate for the OUP Student Prize for his poster titled 'Modelling and fitting of background source continuum in molecular cloud ice spectra'.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Max von Wietersheim-Kramsta is congratulated for winning the RAS Post Doc Prize for his poster titled 'Forward-modelling the galaxy-halo connection'.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
Rebecca Houghton receives the RAS Post Doc Prize runner up certificate for her poster titled 'Searching for low-mass protostars in the Central Molecular Zone with JWST'.
Photo by Daniel Cole Photography
- Want to nominate someone for the 2026 RAS Awards? The deadline to do so is 31 July 2025 – although the Education and Outreach Awards have a later deadline of 26 September 2025. To find out more, visit: https://ras.ac.uk/awards-and-grants/awards
