The Mohn Prize cermony for 2026
On Wednesday, 4 February 2026, Professor John Smol will be presented with the Mohn Prize for Outstanding Research Related to the Arctic. He will be given the award by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
The award ceremony will take place during the Arctic Frontiers conference, at the session "Building Up the Arctic" at 11:00 AM, at The Edge in Tromsø. Participation requires a conference pass, but you can watch the event live on Arctic Frontiers' YouTube channel.
The prize winner will have his own side event at the conference: "Mohn Prize 2026 Panel Debate: Arctic Monitoring - Understanding Current and Future Challenges through Examining the Past", at Saga Hotel, 4 February at 1:30 PM.
On 5 February, Smol will be honoured with the Mohn Seminar at UiT in Tromsø: Mohn Prize Seminar 2026: Arctic Environmental Change. The seminar is open to everyone and will be streamed live on UiT's Panopto platform.
– A role model for us all
Smol, who works at Queen's University in Canada, is receiving the prize for his role in identifying factors driving environmental changes in the Arctic.
"Professor Smol's scientific career is a testament to outstanding Arctic research – co-creative, engaged, thorough, and central to preserving the environment we depend on. I am deeply impressed by his extensive body of work. Smol is a role model for us all," says Rector Dag Rune Olsen, who also chairs the Mohn Prize Steering Committee.
Read more: The Mohn Prize for 2026 awarded to Canadian John Smol
Prize winner John Smol. Photo: SYLVIE LI / SHOOT STUDIO