Today, Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announces the winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, in the capital, Oslo, at 11 a.m. local time (09:00 GMT), after studying 287 nominations, including 208 individuals and 79 organizations.
Some experts believe that the committee will tend to choose a humanitarian party to avoid causing controversy, with the names of organizations concerned with children's rights emerging, such as "Save the Children", in addition to the "Emergency Response Rooms" in Sudan, which is a wide network of volunteers who risk their lives to help the population in the face of war and hunger.
Karim Hajjaj, President of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), said that the “emergency response rooms” are his preferred choice for the award, noting that the conflict in Sudan has received less attention than it deserves, despite the enormous human suffering it has caused.
On the other hand, the committee may choose another winner who will displease US President Donald Trump, who has not given up his ambition to win the award. This comes after last year's winner, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, gave him her gold medal, noting that the Nobel rules do not allow the award itself to be transferred to another person.
The financial value of the award this year is 12 million Swedish krona, or about 1.2 million US dollars.
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in Oslo on Friday, amid much focus this year on the reaction of US President Donald Trump, who has often dreamed of obtaining it since his return to the White House in 2025.
The winner's name is scheduled to be announced at 11:00 am at the Nobel Institute in Oslo.
In a world ravaged by conflicts and crises, 287 individuals and organizations were nominated for the highest diplomatic and humanitarian award this year.
The only thing that experts agree on is that the winner will not be Trump, despite his statements that lack evidence about ending eight wars, and his assertion that he is the most deserving candidate for the award. "They have a reputation that they might not give to people like me... and I think that would be a disgrace to them," Trump said Wednesday, adding, "I'm not saying that out of disdain."
In Oslo, the US president is generally seen as unfit to win because of his war against Iran, his expansionist ambitions, as in the case of Greenland, his hard-line stance on immigrants, and his attacks on multilateralism and the media.
Regardless of who the Norwegian Nobel Committee chooses, its selection may be interpreted as a direct or indirect criticism of the Republican billionaire.
The head of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo (PRIO) Haakon Gerlo said the committee should ask itself whether the Nobel Prize might "do more harm than good" for the winner, given the potential backlash from the White House.
Last year the award was given to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, a choice deemed acceptable to Trump. Machado even gave him her gold medal for the award, considering that he deserved it after the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, even though she did not receive his political support in return.
The Nobel Committee's reasons for selecting Peace Prize winners have changed fundamentally since 1901, as the focus shifted from promoting peace to defending human rights, a trend that gained momentum during the Cold War, according to an analysis by Agence France-Presse. At the same time, the Nobel Committee confirms that it is not subject to any external pressure. Committee Secretary Christian Berg Harboken told AFP, "Of course we have to discuss the matter, but that does not affect the discussions taking place within the room or the decisions it issues."
Consensus or not?
Experts believe that choosing a winner with broad consensus, such as an individual or organization working in the field of child protection or humanitarian efforts, would reduce the possibility of inciting Trump's wrath. The list of potential candidates may include Save the Children and Ukrainian Mykola Kuleba, who is leading a campaign to return children who were illegally transferred to Russia, an issue of particular interest to US First Lady Melania Trump.
Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms, a vast network of volunteers who risk their lives to help populations cope with war and hunger, may be among the possible candidates.
Karim Hajjaj, head of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), said that “emergency response rooms” are his preferred choice for the award.
"Unfortunately, the conflict in Sudan has been forgotten, a conflict that has truly caused enormous human suffering," he told AFP.
However, the committee may choose another winner who could displease Trump.
Names may include Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Pope, an award recognizing press freedom such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, or honoring international justice bodies such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
After the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize, this year's awards season concludes on Monday with the announcement of the winner of the Economics Prize.
