American Economic Association Honors Top Economists with Spring 2026 Awards

The prestigious honors recognize outstanding research, lifetime contributions, and distinguished foreign economists.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 6:08pm

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The American Economic Association (AEA) has announced the recipients of its spring 2026 awards, including the prestigious John Bates Clark Medal, Distinguished Fellows, Foreign Honorary Members, and Best Paper Awards for the American Economic Journals. The awards showcase the depth of talent and innovation within the economics community.

Why it matters

The AEA awards are among the most prestigious honors in the field of economics, highlighting the groundbreaking work and lifetime achievements of top economists. The announcement showcases the AEA's role in advancing the discipline and recognizing its most influential members.

The details

The John Bates Clark Medal is awarded annually to an economist under 40 for outstanding research accomplishments. The Distinguished Fellows award recognizes the lifetime contributions of distinguished economists, including past AEA presidents. The Foreign Honorary Members award is presented to foreign economists of distinction. The AEJ Best Paper Awards highlight the best papers published in the American Economic Journals over the last three years.

  • The 2026 spring award winners will be honored at the AEA Annual Meeting in January 2027.

The players

American Economic Association (AEA)

A professional association of economists that encourages economic research, publishes economic journals, and promotes the free discussion of economic issues.

Ludwig Straub

The recipient of the 2026 John Bates Clark Medal, awarded to an outstanding economist under the age of 40.

Donald Andrews

One of the 2026 recipients of the AEA Distinguished Fellows award, recognizing lifetime contributions to the field of economics.

N. Gregory Mankiw

One of the 2026 recipients of the AEA Distinguished Fellows award, recognizing lifetime contributions to the field of economics.

Jacques-François Thisse

The recipient of the 2026 AEA Foreign Honorary Members award, recognizing a distinguished foreign economist.

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What they’re saying

“The AEA awards are among the most prestigious honors in the field of economics, highlighting the groundbreaking work and lifetime achievements of top economists.”

— Kristine Etter, American Economic Association

What’s next

The 2026 award winners will be honored at the AEA Annual Meeting in January 2027, where they will deliver lectures and participate in panel discussions.

The takeaway

The AEA awards showcase the depth of talent and innovation within the economics community, recognizing the field's most influential researchers and thinkers. The announcement underscores the AEA's pivotal role in advancing economic knowledge and honoring the discipline's top achievers.