Linus Torvalds Nominated for Prince of Asturias Prize

Michael J. Jordan, Linux Online Staff, reporting from Spain.

June 20, 2007

Spanish newspaper El País is reporting that Linus Torvalds has been nominated for the prestigious Prince of Asturias Prize (Premio Príncipe de Asturias) in the technical and scientific research category.

Established in 1981, the Prince of Asturias Foundation awards are among the most prestigious in the world and in Spanish speaking countries enjoy a reputation on a par with the Nobel Prize. Past recipients include Woody Allen, Nelson Mandela, Lance Armstrong, and Stephen Hawking. Last year's Prince of Asturias Prize for International Cooperation went to Bill and Melinda Gates. In the category in which Torvalds has been nominated, past prize winners include Vint Cerf, Tim Berners-Lee and Jane Goodall.

The Madrid-based newspaper reports that a committee has begun its deliberations in Oviedo, the capital of the Asturias region, and will announce this year's recipient of the annual prize next Wednesday, June 27.

Article from El País  (in Spanish)