The Dr. A.H. Heineken and Dr. H.P. Heineken Prizes, named in honor of Alfred Heineken, former Chairman of Heineken Holdings, and Henry Pierre Heineken, son of founder Gerard Adriaan Heineken, are a series of awards bestowed by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).
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Alfred Heineken founded the biennial Heineken Prizes in the 1960s. They consist of five science prizes: the Dr. A.H. Heineken Prizes for History, Medicine, Environmental science, and (since 2006) Cognitive science, and the Dr. H.P. Heineken Prize for Biochemistry and Biophysics.[1] The Dr. A.H. Heineken Prize for Art has been awarded to Dutch artists since 1988.[2] The scientific awards consist of a trophy and US$ 150,000, art awards come with 50,000 Euro.
The selection system of the Heineken Prizes can be compared to that of the Nobel Prizes. Scientists from all over the world are invited to nominate fellow scientists for the Heineken Prizes. Independent committees consisting of eminent scientists and chaired by a member of the board of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences select the winners.[1] An independent jury of art historians acting in their personal capacity, chooses the winners of the Dr. A.H. Heineken Prize for Art.[2]
The Heineken Prizes are awarded in a Special Session of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, which takes place every even year at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam.[3] In 2002, 2004, and 2006 the Prizes were presented by HRH the Prince of Orange.
The prizes are sponsored by the Alfred Heineken Fondsen Foundation and the Dr. H.P. Heineken Foundation.[1] The foundations are chaired by Mrs. Charlene L. de Carvalho-Heineken, daughter of the late Alfred Heineken.
The Heineken Prizes for Art and Sciences are now amongst the most prestigious international awards in the world. The following nine winners of the Heineken Prizes for Medicine and Biochemistry and Biophysics have since won Nobel Prizes: