Despite the increasing number of conflicts around the world and the decline in international cooperation, the Nobel Peace Prize is still important. The winner of the prize will be announced on October 9 at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, and his name will be announced by the Chairman of the Committee. The ceremony will be held at Oslo City Hall on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.
There are about 287 nominations for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize that will be evaluated, and the award ceremony will be held on December 10. Venezuelan Maria Corina Machado won the award last year.
Who are the candidates?
There are 287 candidates, including 208 individuals and 79 organizations. Their names are not known because the list has been kept secret for 50 years inside a closet in the basement of the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.
However, those who choose the candidates, who number in the thousands around the world, can reveal the names they have proposed, according to Reuters.
Is US President Donald Trump nominated and can he win?
The leaders of Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan have said they nominated Trump, but there is no way to verify that. Experts believe that if Trump is actually a candidate, his chances of winning are very weak.
Who are the luckiest this year?
Among the names proposed are Pope Leo, the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, or Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Possible candidates also include the Emergency Response Rooms, a Sudanese network of local groups providing aid during the civil war, or the NGO Save the Children for its assistance to children affected by the conflict.
The names least likely to win include the International Space Station, as an example of what countries can achieve even when at odds with each other. The United States, Russia and Europe cooperate in operating the station.
Who decides the winner?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee consists of five individuals appointed by the Norwegian Parliament. Members are often retired politicians, but not always.
The current committee is headed by the head of the Norwegian branch of PEN International, a group that defends freedom of expression. The committee also includes a university professor among its members.
All of them are nominated by Norwegian political parties, and their appointment reflects the balance of power in the Norwegian Parliament.
Who is eligible to win?
The short answer: Whoever meets the specifications set by the Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel in his will in 1895. The will stipulates that the award should be given to the person “who has made the greatest or best effort to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood between nations, to abolish standing armies or reduce their numbers, and to hold and promote peace conferences.”
Christian Berg Harpviken, secretary of the award committee, says that the more complex answer is that the award “must be placed in its current context.” Harpviken prepares the nomination files and participates in the deliberations, but does not cast his vote.
“They will take a look at the world and see what is happening, what are the global trends, what are the major concerns, what are the most promising developments that we see,” he told Reuters last year.
He added: “Developments here could mean anything, from a specific peace process to a new type of international agreement that is under development or has been recently adopted.”
Who is eligible to nominate?
Thousands of people can suggest names, including members of governments and parliaments, current heads of state, university professors in history, social sciences, law, philosophy, former Nobel Peace Prize winners, and others.
The nomination period ended on January 31. Committee members are also entitled to submit their own nominations no later than their first meeting in February.
How does the committee decide?
Members discuss all the nominated names and then conclude a shortlist, after which a team of permanent advisors and other experts study and evaluate each candidate individually. The committee meets approximately once a month to review nominations. Harpviken said the decision is usually made in August or September. The committee seeks to reach consensus on its selection. If this is not possible, the decision shall be taken by a majority of votes. The last time a member resigned in protest against the winner was in 1994, when Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shared the award with Israelis Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.
What does the prize winner get?
A gold medal, a certificate of merit, 12 million Swedish krona ($1.2 million) and immediate global attention.
