2026 IEEE Medal of Honor Goes to Nvidia’s Jensen Huang

Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia, is the recipient of the 2026 IEEE Medal of Honor. The IEEE honorary member is recognized for his “leadership in the development of graphics processing units and their application to scientific computing and artificial intelligence.” The news was announced Jan. 6 by IEEE President and CEO Mary Ellen Randall at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Huang helped found Nvidia in 1993. Under his leadership, the company introduced the programmable GPU six years later. The device has sparked extraordinary advances that have transformed fields such as artificial intelligence, computer science and medicine, influencing how technology improves society.

“[Receiving the IEEE Medal of Honor] is an incredible honor,” Huang said at the CES event. “I thank [IEEE] for this incredible award that I receive on behalf of all the amazing employees at Nvidia.

With a price tag of US$2 million, this award highlights IEEE’s commitment to celebrating visionaries who are driving the future of technology for the benefit of humanity.

“The IEEE Medal of Honor is the pinnacle of recognition and our most prestigious award,” Randall said at the event. “[Jensen] Huang’s leadership and technical vision ushered in a new era of innovation.

“His vision and subsequent development of [Nvidia’s first GPU hardware] is emblematic of [award].”

Huang’s impact on technology

Huang’s impact has been recognized beyond the field of engineering. He was named one of the “architects of AI,” a group of eight technology leaders collectively named Time magazine’s 2025 personality of the year. He was also featured on a 2021 cover of Time magazine, was named the world’s best performing CEO in 2019 by Harvard Business Reviewand was FortuneBusinessman of the Year 2017.

He is also a distinguished member of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu.

This year’s IEEE Medal of Honor, along with other high-profile IEEE awards, will be presented at the IEEE Honors Ceremony in April in New York. To follow news and updates on the IEEE’s most prestigious awards, follow IEEE Awards on LinkedIn.