More specifically the four prizes were awarded to The Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice and on behalf of the Institute Director Professor Chrysa Maltezou received the prize - The Center for Hellenic Studies of Harvard University and on behalf of the Center Director Professor Gregory Nagy received the prize -  and The National Centre for Hellenic Studies and Research of La Trobe University, who on its behalf Director Professor Anastasios M. Tamis received the prize. The Onassis Prize was also awarded to Professor Dimitris Nanopoulos, Academician, Distinguished Professor of Physics and Holder of the Mitchell-Heep Chair in Theoretical High Energy Physics, Texas A&M University, USA.

‘These prizes point to the future, but they also remind us of the sources providing us with much of our national pride', said the President of the Onassis Foundation, Mr Anthony S. Papadimitriou, during the ceremony. Moreover, the President pointed out that this year's prizes are awarded to ‘three Diaspora Greeks and one Greek in Isocrates' sense of the word…'

Both the personalities and the works of the prize-winners were warmly praised by eminent fellow professionals and colleagues of theirs: the Rector of the University of Europe Professor Eleni Glykatzi-Ahrweiler presented the laudation for Professor Maltezou; the former Athens University Dean Professor Georgios Babiniotis presented the laudation for Professor Nagy; Former Rector of La Trobe University Professor Michael Osborne presented the laudation for ProfessorTamis; and Professor Peter McIntyre presented the laudation for Professor Nanopoulos.