STOCKHOLM, July 15. /TASS/. Sweden’s leading think-tank, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), denied media reports on Wednesday that it has nominated Iran and US top diplomats, Javad Zarif and John Kerry, for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize.

"This was an individual opinion of one of our staff members, and SIPRI has not made any official decision on this issue," a representative of the institute has told TASS.

The employee was unavailable for comment.

Iran’s IRNA news agency reported Tuesday that SIPRI has nominated Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif and US Secretary of State Kerry for the 2016 Nobel peace award for "their role in sealing a historic nuclear accord."

There are 276 candidates for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize, including 49 organisations. The previous record of 278 candidates was set last year. The laureate will be announced in early October.

The prize will be awarded at a ceremony in the Oslo City Hall on December 10, the date on which the famous Swedish chemist, scientist and inventor Alfred Nobel died. The winner will get a prize worth 8 million Swedish crowns ($965,000).

Norway’s lawmakers have nominated National Security Agency (NSA) leaker Edward Snowden, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and Pope Francis for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize.