Princess of Asturias Awards announce speakers and attendees

The Princess of Asturias Foundation has announced the speakers and attendees for the 46th edition of the Princess of Asturias Awards. The ceremony will take place on October 23 at the Campoamor Theater in Oviedo, presided over by the King and Queen of Spain, alongside Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofía.

Key speakers include astronaut Christina Koch (Concord), singer and writer Patti Smith (Arts), writer Julian Barnes (Letters), and professor Timothy Garton Ash (Social Sciences). Other confirmed award recipients include footballer Lionel Messi (Sports), chemists David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian, and biophysicist Pascal Mayer (Scientific and Technical Research).

Additionally, Studio Ghibli will be represented by its president, Kenichi Yoda, for the Communication and Humanities award, while the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will be represented by Norwegian Minister of Agriculture and Food Nils Kristen Sandtrøen and other executives for the International Cooperation award. The event will feature simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, English, French, Norwegian, and Japanese, along with enhanced accessibility features such as sign language and live subtitling.