The Abel Prize, given out by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, is considered one of the top prizes in mathematics in the world.
Wiles is being recognized for his work in 1994 proving Fermat's Last Theorem, one of the oldest unsolved problems in the history of mathematics, according to the Abel Prize's website. It was first brought forth by a French mathematician in 1637, according to Princeton University.
Wiles graduated from Oxford University and received his Ph.D. from Cambridge University before he took a job at Princeton in 1982.
Wiles was made professor emeritus in 2012 and went on to become the Royal Society Research Professor at Oxford University, according to the Princeton University Website. He has also received the Shaw Prize and was knighted by the Queen of England.
The academy will hold a ceremony and award Wiles the honor in Oslo, Norway in May.