NVIDIA's Jensen Huang Awarded IEEE Medal of Honor 2026 for Pioneering Technology Leadership

Jensen Huang Receives IEEE Medal of Honor 2026

Jensen Huang, the founder and CEO of NVIDIA, has been recognized with the prestigious IEEE Medal of Honor 2026. This accolade is the highest honor from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), an organization that boasts a membership of over 500,000 and focuses on advancing technology for humanity. The award comes with a $2 million financial prize, underscoring Huang's outstanding contributions to the field.

Huang was honored for his lifelong visionary leadership and pioneering contributions in the realm of accelerated computing, which propelled NVIDIA to the forefront of technological innovation. This latest recognition adds to Huang’s impressive list of accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, the Financial Times Person of the Year award, and a Fellowship from Stephen Hawking.

Under Huang's guidance, NVIDIA became the first company to achieve a market capitalization exceeding $5 trillion in October 2025. Additionally, he played a crucial role in inventing the first Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) in 1999, a groundbreaking development that transformed computing. This innovation has enabled progress in various fields, including medicine, engineering, robotics, and autonomous vehicles. Huang's foresight in accelerated computing laid the foundation for today's advancements in artificial intelligence and the ongoing industrial revolution.

Mary Ellen Randall, the IEEE Executive Director, remarked, "The IEEE Medal of Honor represents the pinnacle of career achievement. Jensen Huang’s contributions have pushed the boundaries of technology, enabling innovations with impacts yet to be fully understood. IEEE is proud to honor work that defines excellence in our field and inspires future generations of engineers and technologists."

Established in 1917, the IEEE Medal of Honor is awarded to individuals whose contributions have fundamentally influenced technology and engineering. The laureates consistently envision new and revolutionary ideas, pushing the limits of what is possible. Their achievements inspire today’s engineers to create a more innovative and improved world. Huang joins an illustrious group of past medalists, including the Internet's architects Vinton G. Cerf and Robert Kahn, GPS pioneer Bradford W. Parkinson, and semiconductor innovator Morris Chang.

NVIDIA’s accelerated computing platform powers diverse industries, from generative AI models like ChatGPT to the development of world-leading AI-powered factories and data centers. Huang's commitment to innovation and his ability to forecast industry trends decades in advance have created the infrastructure that empowers technology professionals globally, influencing millions of lives daily.

In his acceptance, Huang expressed, "Receiving the IEEE Medal of Honor is a tremendous honor. This recognition reflects the lifetime work of thousands of engineers and researchers at NVIDIA. From the invention of the GPU to the engines of the modern AI factory, we have helped ignite a new industrial revolution. This award belongs to the entire community that built the CUDA ecosystem, pushed computing beyond Moore’s Law, and continues to extend the limits of artificial intelligence. Together, we are building an incredible future for our planet."

For the second consecutive year, the IEEE Medal of Honor includes a $2 million prize, highlighting not only the significance of this award as one of the most prestigious in technology but also the essential role of engineering and science in tackling global challenges and propelling progress forward.

About IEEE

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