STARS TO GATHER AT SEVENTH ANNUAL BREAKTHROUGH PRIZE CEREMONY ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4
 
“OSCARS OF SCIENCE” TO CELEBRATE SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT AND PAY TRIBUTE TO THE LATE PHYSICIST
STEPHEN HAWKING
 
Hosted by Pierce Brosnan
 
Musical Performances by Lionel Richie and 
Chinese Music Sensation G.E.M.
 
Eddie Redmayne and Rachel McAdams to join Orlando Bloom, Ron Howard, Julianne Moore, Thandie Newton, and 
Lupita Nyong’o as Presenters 
 
Lucy Hawking to join Redmayne for 
the “In Memoriam” Tribute 
 
Ceremony to Air Live on National Geographic at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET
 
 
SAN FRANCISCO – November 2, 2018 – The seventh annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony – known as the “Oscars of Science” – will bring together the stars of science with leading figures from the worlds of technology, business and entertainment, to celebrate scientific achievement and pay tribute to the late Stephen Hawking, on Sunday, November 4. The ceremony will air live on National Geographic at 7 PM PT / 10 PM ET. 
 
This year, the ceremony will celebrate nine scientists, recognized for achievements in life sciences, fundamental physics and mathematics. All eight of the 2019 Breakthrough Prize laureates, as well as the winner of the 2018 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, will be featured at the gala ceremony.
 
Hosted by acclaimed actor, producer and philanthropist Pierce Brosnan, the show will also center around a commemoration of Hawking, who died in March 2018. Actor Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed Hawking in the 2014 film, “The Theory of Everything,” will present a tribute, and be joined onstage by Hawking’s daughter, Lucy.
 
This year’s celebrity guests will include musical performers Lionel Richie and G.E.M., and presenters Orlando Bloom, Ron Howard, Rachel McAdams,Julianne Moore, Thandie Newton, and Lupita Nyong’o.
 
A giant in physics, Hawking was a talismanic figure for the Breakthrough Prize. A laureate himself – he won the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics in 2013 – he was a frequent collaborator on the Prize, as well as a partner in the Breakthrough Initiatives, a series of space science programs investigating life in the universe and interstellar travel. 
 
The theme of the ceremony will be “Look up” – inspired by the following quote of Hawking’s, from his final popular book, Brief Answers to the Big Questions, published this fall:
 
Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.
 
 
The November 4 ceremony will be held at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California and be live-streamed on the Facebook and YouTube platforms of National Geographic (National Geographic Facebook | National Geographic YouTube) and the Breakthrough Prize (Breakthrough Facebook | Breakthrough YouTube).
 
# # #
 
About the Breakthrough Prize
For the seventh year, the Breakthrough Prizes will recognize the world’s top scientists. Each prize is $3 million and presented in the fields of Life Sciences (up to four per year), Fundamental Physics (one per year) and Mathematics (one per year). In addition, up to three New Horizons in Physics and up to three New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes are given out to junior researchers each year. Laureates attend a live televised award ceremony designed to celebrate their achievements and inspire the next generation of scientists. As part of the ceremony schedule, they also engage in a program of lectures and discussions.
 
Information on the Breakthrough Prizes is available at breakthroughprize.org.
 

About National Geographic
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 130 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.
 
Contact:
For Breakthrough Prize: 
Alice McGillion / 212-843-8039 / AMcGillion@Rubenstein.com
Kristen Bothwell / 212-843-9227 / Kbothwell@Rubenstein.com