STOCKHOLM, October 9. /TASS/. The Norwegian Nobel Committee will announce the winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in Oslo.
Unlike other Nobel prizes, the award ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize takes place in Oslo and not Stockholm, in accordance with the last will of renowned Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel. The document specifies that the prize should be awarded to a person, "who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses." In his will, the scientist also specified that the prize should be awarded by a committee of five members appointed by the Norwegian parliament. Traditionally, the committee includes retired Norwegian politicians and former party leaders.
Nowadays, the century-old wording is interpreted quite broadly, frequently drawing criticism toward the committee’s decisions. In recent years, the list of laureates included politicians, rights activists, political activists, and humanitarian organizations recognized for achievements across a wide range of fields.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2025 was awarded to Maria Corina Machado "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy".
Possible candidates
Traditionally, nominations for the prize can be made until January 31. After that, the right to nominate is reserved for committee members, who can exercise it at their first meeting, usually in February.
The full list of nominees is kept strictly confidential and may not be made public until after the 50th anniversary of the award. Each year, however, information about the nomination of certain candidates is leaked to the media by organizations or individuals with the right to nominate. These include former and current members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and its advisors, previous Peace Prize laureates, members of national parliaments, university professors specializing in history, philosophy, law or theology.
The record number of contenders - 376 - was reported in 2016. A total of 287 candidates have been nominated for the 2025 edition of the prize: 208 individuals and 79 legal entities. According to media reports, US President Donald Trump was one of them. A number of public figures and political leaders spoke publicly about his nomination, including from Israel, Cambodia and Pakistan. A member of the House of Representatives of the US Congress, Anna Paulina Luna, also mentioned this.
Haakon Gjerlow, the head of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), which regularly publishes lists of potential contenders, named the Save the Children charitable foundation, Sudanese volunteer network Emergency Response Rooms (ERR), the International Space Station (ISS), the International Court of Justice of the United Nations, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) as possible laureates.
About the award
The Nobel Peace Prize was first awarded in 1901. There were years when no winner was announced, the last time being in 1972. The reasons for no award being given include World Wars I and II, disagreements among committee members, and a "lack of worthy candidates."
The award ceremony is in Oslo on December 10, on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. This year’s monetary prize amounts to 12 million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million).
Nobel Week kicked off in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on October 6. Winners of the prizes in medicine, physics, chemistry and literature have already been announced.