LONDON, Dec. 20, 2025 -- This week at London's Royal Society, board members of the world-leading science and music festival STARMUS—Garik Israelian, Sir Brian May, Peter Gabriel, Lord Michael Hintze, and Lord Martin Rees—were joined by members of Jane Goodall's family and Mary Lewis, Vice President of the Jane Goodall Institute, to announce STARMUS VIII and the launch of the Jane Goodall Earth Medal.
The medal will be awarded for the first time at STARMUS VIII, to be hosted in Tenerife and La Palma in 2026.
The announcement took place exactly ten years after STARMUS and Professor Stephen Hawking stood together at the Royal Society to launch the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication, marking a decade of STARMUS's commitment to uniting science, art, and humanity.
STARMUS Director and Co-Founder Garik Israelian said:
"Ten years ago, Stephen Hawking joined us to launch a medal that inspired millions to look to the stars. Today, with the blessing of Jane Goodall and her family, we launch a medal that calls us to protect the Earth. STARMUS VIII will unite these two visions — the cosmic and the planetary — in a festival dedicated to the search for truth."
Stephen Hawking once said of STARMUS:
"In a world beset by so many terrible problems, STARMUS offers a ray of hope… a unique debating chamber for the future of the human race."
In 2026, STARMUS will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Stephen Hawking Medal, honoring a decade of scientists, creators, musicians, filmmakers, and communicators who have carried forward Hawking's vision—encouraging humanity to question deeply and embrace the power of science.
At the same time, the festival will award the inaugural STARMUS Jane Goodall Earth Medal, a global honor recognizing voices who protect the planet, defend biodiversity, and redefine humanity's relationship with nature. Approved and blessed by Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, and her family, the medal extends the STARMUS mission into environmental and humanitarian action.
Jane Goodall held a cherished role within STARMUS as an Advisory Board Member, Hawking Medal laureate, keynote speaker, and a source of inspiration—particularly for the people of La Palma following the volcanic eruption. In private conversations with Israelian and Mary Lewis, she gave her blessing for an environmental and humanitarian medal to bear her name.
Merlin Van-Lawick, Jane Goodall's grandson, said:
"We are deeply grateful that STARMUS chose to honor my grandmother in this way. We fully support this initiative, and Jane has given it her blessing."
STARMUS Co-Founder Sir Brian May added:
"Jane Goodall and Stephen Hawking changed how we see the world — one by looking to the stars, the other by reminding us to protect life on Earth. Bringing their legacies together is profoundly necessary for our time."
