Among the Institute’s honours, two medals stand as its most prestigious: the Rayleigh Medal, the Institute’s premier award for lifetime achievement in acoustics, and the Tyndall Medal, awarded biennially to an outstanding UK acoustician, typically under the age of 40, whose contributions have already had significant influence. This year’s recipients exemplify excellence across generations, from foundational advances in acoustic materials and modelling to cutting-edge innovations in active sound and vibration control.

The Rayleigh Medal is awarded to Professor John Stuart Bolton, in recognition of his internationally renowned and sustained contributions to acoustics and noise control.

Professor Bolton’s work has fundamentally shaped the way acoustical materials are modelled, tested and applied in practice. Over several decades, he has led major advances in the understanding of porous and poro-elastic materials, developing theoretical, numerical and experimental tools that are now standard across industry and academia. His pioneering finite-element formulations of Biot theory enabled accurate prediction of sound absorption and transmission in complex materials and geometries, capabilities that are now embedded in widely used commercial acoustic simulation software.

Professor Bolton has also made influential contributions to sound field visualisation, acoustic holography, wave propagation and tyre–road sound, providing industry with practical methods to identify, analyse and reduce dominant sound sources. His research has been widely adopted by sectors including automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics and manufacturing, supported by extensive collaboration with global companies and research agencies.

Equally significant is his impact as an educator and mentor. Having supervised more than 100 graduate students and taught generations of engineers and acousticians, Professor Bolton’s influence extends through the many professionals now leading innovation across industry and academia. The Rayleigh Medal recognises not only the depth and breadth of his scientific achievements, but also his enduring contribution to the profession as a whole.

Professor Bolton will be presenting his work in person at our Acoustics 2026 conference later this year.