The Wolf Prize has been awarded annually since 1978 to living scientists and artists for "achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations among peoples ... irrespective of nationality, race, colour, religion, sex or political views." The prize is awarded in Israel by the Wolf Foundation, founded by Dr. Ricardo Wolf, a German-born inventor and former Cuban ambassador to Israel. It is awarded in six fields: Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics, Medicine, Physics, and an Arts prize that rotates annually between architecture, music, painting and sculpture. Each prize consists of a diploma and US$100,000.

The Wolf Prizes in physics and chemistry are often considered the most prestigious awards in those fields after the Nobel Prize.blank">http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/18884 In medicine, the prize is probably the third most prestigious, after the Nobel Prize and the _Lasker Award. In mathematics, for which there is no Nobel prize, the Wolf Prize is particularly prestigious, second to only the Fields medal.