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The Nobel Peace Prize A to Z: How It Is Awarded and Why It Is Debated

Facts about the Nobel Peace Prize, from how Norway's committee picks a laureate to the records, the organizations that won, and the choices people still argue about.

Why is Norway the only country that awards the Nobel Peace Prize?

The prizes in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and economic sciences (the last created in 1968 by Sweden's central bank in Nobel's memory) are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, but the Peace Prize alone is selected by the Norwegian Nobel Committee and awarded separately each year on December 10 — the anniversary of Nobel's death — at Oslo City Hall. The precise reason Nobel entrusted only the Peace Prize to Norway is not known, but the leading theory is that the Norwegian parliament (the Storting) of the time was particularly active in peace mediation efforts.

The youngest laureate ever: Malala Yousafzai

In 2014, Pakistani women's education activist Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize at age 17, setting the record for the youngest laureate ever. She won for continuing her activism for girls' right to education even after surviving a Taliban shooting, sharing the prize with Indian children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi.

The only organization to win three times: the International Committee of the Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has won the Nobel Peace Prize three times — in 1917, 1944, and 1963 (the latter jointly with the League of Red Cross Societies, to mark the centennial of the founding of the International Red Cross Movement) — remaining the most-honored organization in the prize's history. Both of the first two awards recognized its humanitarian work protecting prisoners of war and civilians during the World Wars.

A prize that can go to organizations, not just individuals

Unlike other Nobel Prize categories, the Peace Prize is awarded not only to individuals but also to international organizations and groups. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has won twice, in 1954 and 1981; the European Union (EU) won in 2012; Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) won in 1999; and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) won jointly with Al Gore in 2007.

South Korea's first and only laureate: Kim Dae-jung

In 2000, former President Kim Dae-jung won the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to the Sunshine Policy aimed at improving inter-Korean relations, as well as to South Korea's democratization and advancement of human rights. It remains the only Nobel Peace Prize ever awarded to a South Korean, and it drew significant attention as it came just after the first-ever inter-Korean summit was held that same year.

Controversial selections

When Henry Kissinger shared the 1973 prize with Lê Đức Thọ for negotiating the Vietnam peace accords, the controversy was so intense that two members of the Nobel Committee resigned in protest. In 2009, Barack Obama won the award less than a year into his presidency, drawing criticism that it was "a prize for expectations rather than accomplishments." The Nobel Committee has maintained a principle of never rescinding a prize once it has been awarded, so even a later-controversial laureate's award itself is never revoked.

There have been years with no laureate at all

The Nobel Peace Prize was not awarded in several years — mostly during World War I and World War II — designated as "no award" years. Under Nobel Foundation rules, prize money for a year with no laureate is either carried over into the foundation's fund or set aside in a special fund.

The ceremony is held at Oslo City Hall

Unlike the other five categories, whose ceremony is held at the Stockholm Concert Hall, the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is held separately every year on December 10 at Oslo City Hall in Norway. It is customary for the King of Norway to attend, and the laureate delivers their Nobel lecture on this occasion.

Who can nominate and who decides

The Peace Prize is decided by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a small group appointed by the Norwegian parliament (the Storting). Nominations may come from a defined set of people, including members of national parliaments and governments, university professors in fields such as law, history, and political science, and past laureates. Self-nomination is not accepted. The Nobel Foundation reported 338 nominations for 2025 (244 individuals and 94 organizations). The committee's work is confidential: under the statutes, nomination records stay sealed for 50 years, so a list of candidates for a given year only becomes public decades later.

Where the prize came from and the first laureates

Alfred Nobel's will, written in 1895, set aside his fortune for prizes in five fields, including a prize to the person who had done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the holding of peace congresses. The first Peace Prizes were awarded in 1901 and were shared between Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross movement, and Frederic Passy, a French peace campaigner. The wording of the will is broad, which is one reason the committee's interpretation of "peace" has widened over time.

A recent example: the 2025 prize

The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize went to Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela, announced in October 2025, for her work promoting democratic rights. The prize money for that year was 11 million Swedish kronor per full prize, as published by the Nobel Foundation. Amounts change over time with the Foundation's finances, so treat any figure as belonging to its year.

Rules on sharing and on posthumous awards

A single Peace Prize can be divided among at most three laureates, and a prize may go to an organization. Under the current statutes a prize is not awarded posthumously, with an exception if the person dies between the announcement and the ceremony. Dag Hammarskjold, the UN Secretary-General, received the 1961 Peace Prize after his death in a plane crash, which happened before the rule was clarified in the 1970s.

Curious about other Nobel Prize categories?

If you're curious about the features of all 6 Nobel Prize categories, see our complete overview of the Nobel Prize categories; if you're curious about past Nobel Literature laureates and their representative works, see our overview of past Nobel Literature laureates.

How a laureate is actually chosen

Nominations close at the end of January each year. The committee's advisers then prepare a shortlist and reports on the main candidates, and the committee meets through the spring and summer, aiming for consensus. The decision is usually made in the weeks before the announcement, which takes place in early October in Oslo. Because the process is secret and nomination files stay closed for 50 years, public lists of "favorites" ahead of the announcement are speculation by journalists and researchers, not insider information. The ceremony follows on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death, when the laureate receives a medal, a diploma, and the prize money.

What the prize does and does not mean

The Peace Prize is a statement of recognition by one committee at one moment. It does not certify that a person or organization is flawless, and it does not guarantee that the conflict being addressed will be resolved. Several awards have been meant to encourage a fragile process, as when talks were underway and the committee hoped to support them. Others have honored long careers after the fact. Reading a citation in full, rather than relying on a headline, is the best way to see which of these the committee had in mind. This page gives general historical information and is not a political assessment of any laureate.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Nobel Peace Prize money?

The prize amount is adjusted each year based on the Nobel Foundation's fund performance for that year, and the same amount is set for all six categories. If multiple people share the prize, they split the prize money.

Can the Nobel Committee revoke the Peace Prize too?

The Nobel Foundation and the Nobel Committee have maintained a principle of never revoking a prize once it has been awarded. Even if a laureate's later actions become controversial, the award itself is never rescinded — it simply remains a case with a mixed historical assessment.

Can anyone nominate a candidate?

No. Only people who meet the statutory criteria can nominate, for example members of national assemblies and governments, certain professors, directors of peace research institutes, and former laureates. A person may not nominate themselves, and a petition from the public does not count as a nomination.

How much was the Nobel Peace Prize worth recently?

For 2025 the Nobel Foundation set the amount at 11 million Swedish kronor per full prize. The figure is reviewed each year and has changed over time, so check the Foundation's site for the current year. If the prize is shared, the money is divided.

Why can I not see who was nominated in a given year?

The statutes keep nomination and investigation records secret for 50 years. After that period the archive opens, which is why historians can study nominees from decades ago, such as who was considered and who was passed over, while current candidates stay unknown.