Nobel Peace Prize: Who is eligible, how the winners are chosen and the selection process explained

The Nobel Peace Prize shapes global conversations about conflict and cooperation by spotlighting people and institutions that influence peace. This story shows who can nominate, how winners are chosen, and why timing and secrecy matter.

A five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee, appointed by Norway’s parliament, selects the winner; members are often senior public figures, and their appointments reflect parliamentary balance. The chair announces the winner in Oslo each October.

The will directs the prize to whoever does the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, abolish or reduce standing armies, and promote peace congresses. Each year the committee interprets these aims in the current global context.

Thousands are eligible, including members of governments and parliaments, current heads of state, professors in specified fields, and former Peace laureates. Nominators may disclose their picks, but the official list stays sealed for 50 years.

Nominations close on January 31 for that year. Committee members can add names at their first February meeting. Late or publicly touted names after the deadline are not valid for that year’s prize.

All valid nominations are discussed to form a shortlist. Each shortlisted candidate is assessed by permanent advisers and other experts whose reports inform the committee’s deeper deliberations across the spring and summer.

The committee meets roughly monthly and seeks consensus; if not, a majority vote decides, typically in August or September. While rare, disagreements have led to resignations in the past, such as 1994, underscoring that the process blends principles, judgment, and political context. The committee’s decision is final and cannot be appealed. Full nomination records remain confidential for 50 years, so speculation is common but unofficial.

The winner is announced in Oslo on a Friday in early October. The laureate receives a medal, a diploma, and a cash award at the December 10 ceremony, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.