Board members of world-leading science and music festival Starmus gathered at London’s Royal Society alongside Jane Goodall’s family members and Mary Lewis, Vice President of the Jane Goodall Institute, to announce Starmus VIII and launch the Jane Goodall Earth Medal. 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 the festival’s commitment to uniting science, art and humanity. The inaugural Jane Goodall Earth Medal will be awarded for the first time at Starmus VIII hosted in Tenerife and La Palma in 2026, recognizing voices who protect the planet, defend biodiversity and redefine humanity’s relationship with nature with approval and blessing from Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, and her family. Starmus director and co-founder Garik Israelian explains that ten years ago Stephen Hawking joined them to launch a medal inspiring millions to look to the stars, and today with Jane Goodall’s blessing they launch a medal calling everyone to protect Earth, uniting cosmic and planetary visions in a festival dedicated to the search for truth.
Jane Goodall held a cherished role within Starmus as Advisory Board Member, Hawking Medal laureate, keynote speaker and source of inspiration particularly for La Palma following the volcanic eruption, giving her blessing for an environmental and humanitarian medal to bear her name through private conversations with Israelian and Mary Lewis. Merlin Van-Lawick, Jane Goodall’s grandson, expresses deep gratitude that Starmus chose to honor his grandmother this way with full family support for the initiative. Starmus VIII will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Stephen Hawking Medal honoring a decade of scientists, creators, musicians, filmmakers and communicators who carried forward Hawking’s vision encouraging humanity to question deeply and embrace the power of science. Co-founder Sir Brian May notes that Jane Goodall and Stephen Hawking changed how people see the world, one by looking to the stars and the other by reminding everyone to protect life on Earth, making bringing their legacies together profoundly necessary for this moment.