Jensen Huang, cofounder adn CEO of Nvidia, has been named the 2026 IEEE Medal of Honor. The IEEE honorary member is being recognized for his “leadership in the growth of graphics processing units and their submission to scientific computing and artificial intelligence.” the IEEE’s president and CEO, Mary Ellen Randall, announced the news on January 6 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 and, six years later, led the introduction of the programmable GPU. This innovation sparked breakthroughs in fields like artificial intelligence, computing, and medicine, fundamentally changing how technology benefits society.
“Receiving the IEEE Medal of honor is an astonishing honor,” Huang said at CES. “I thank IEEE for this incredible award that I receive on behalf of all the great employees at Nvidia.”
The award, which includes a US $2 million prize, highlights IEEE’s dedication to honoring visionaries who shape the future of technology for the betterment of humanity.
“The IEEE Medal of Honor is the pinnacle of recognition and our most prestigious award,” Randall stated at the event. “Jensen Huang’s leadership and technical vision have unlocked a new era of innovation. His vision and subsequent development of Nvidia’s first GPU hardware are emblematic of the award.”
Huang’s Impact on Technology
Huang’s influence extends beyond engineering.He was named one of the “Architects of AI,” earning a place among eight tech leaders collectively lauded as Time magazine’s 2025 person of the Year.He also graced the cover of Time magazine in 2021, was recognized as the world’s top-performing CEO by Harvard business Review in 2019, and was named Fortune’s 2017 Businessperson of the Year.
He is also an IEEE–Eta Kappa Nu eminent member.
The IEEE Medal of Honor, alongside other prestigious IEEE awards, will be presented during the IEEE Honors Ceremony in April in New York City. For updates on IEEE’s most prestigious awards, follow IEEE Awards on LinkedIn.