Nobel Prize explained: Who can nominate candidates and how are winners chosen?

Every year, thousands of people nominate candidates for the Nobel Prizes. But being nominated does not mean a person or organisation has been endorsed by the Nobel institutions. The nominations are reviewed by specialised committees, which assess the candidates and recommend names to the institutions responsible for choosing the winners.

Between 1901 and 2026, the Nobel Prizes and the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel were awarded 634 times to 1,029 people and organisations. Each prize consists of a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award.

A person or organisation that receives a Nobel Prize is called a Nobel Prize laureate. The word “laureate” refers to the laurel wreath, which was awarded to victors as a mark of honour in ancient Greece.

Who can nominate someone for a Nobel Prize?

The rules differ slightly across the prize categories. In general, nominations can be made by people with recognised expertise in the relevant field.

Eligible nominators may include:

• University professors and researchers
• Members of academies and learned institutions
• Previous Nobel Prize laureates
• Members of national legislatures and governments
• Judges of international courts
• Leaders of relevant organisations and institutes

The Nobel committees usually send confidential nomination forms to people who are qualified to nominate candidates. Self-nominations are not allowed.

For the Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry, eligible nominators include members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, previous laureates, members of the relevant Nobel committees and professors in the field.

For Physiology or Medicine, nominations may come from members of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet, previous laureates and professors at medical faculties in Sweden and other countries.

For Literature, qualified nominators include members of academies, professors of literature and linguistics, previous literature laureates and presidents of representative writers’ organisations.

The Peace Prize has a wider nomination system. University leaders, professors in several social science and law-related fields, members of national assemblies and governments, international judges, previous Peace Prize laureates and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee can nominate candidates. A formal invitation is not required if the person meets the criteria.

The prize in Economic Sciences follows a separate process, but nominations are also made by qualified people invited by the relevant committee.

Can anyone nominate a person?

No. Only people who meet the eligibility criteria can submit nominations.

A public figure, political leader or organisation may announce that it has nominated someone. However, the Nobel institutions do not confirm or deny current nominations.

The names of nominees and other details about the nomination and selection process remain secret for 50 years. This means that a person may claim to have nominated someone, but the Nobel committees will not officially verify the claim during that period.

What happens after nominations are submitted?

The nomination process generally begins in September. The deadline for nominations is usually January 31.

After receiving the nominations, the relevant Nobel committee examines the candidates. The committees consist of members appointed by the institutions that award the prizes. They may also consult independent experts and request detailed reports on the candidates’ work.

The committees gradually reduce the list and prepare recommendations for the final decision-makers. The process can continue for several months and usually involves repeated assessments of the leading candidates.

Who chooses the winners?

The final decision is taken by different institutions for different prizes:

• Physics: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
• Chemistry: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
• Physiology or Medicine: Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet
• Literature: Swedish Academy
• Peace: Norwegian Nobel Committee
• Economic Sciences: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

The Nobel committees study the nominations and recommend candidates, but the final decision rests with the relevant prize-awarding institution.

For example, the Nobel Committee for Literature evaluates the nominations and makes recommendations, while the Swedish Academy chooses the laureate. In medicine, the Nobel Committee reviews the candidates, but the Nobel Assembly, which has 50 members, makes the final choice.

Is the decision based on the number of nominations?

Not necessarily. The Nobel Prize is not awarded through a public vote or simply to the person who receives the most nominations.

The committees assess the importance of the candidate’s work and how closely it meets the conditions for the prize. Experts may be asked to examine the work before the committee makes its recommendation.

A nomination is therefore not a competition based only on numbers. A candidate with several nominations may not win, while another candidate may be selected after a detailed evaluation of their contribution.

Can a prize be shared?

A Nobel Prize can be shared by up to three individuals. The Peace Prize can also be awarded to an organisation.

The Nobel Foundation’s statutes do not allow the prize money to be divided among more than three people.

Is a Nobel Prize decision final?

Yes. Once the relevant prize-awarding institution announces its decision, it is final and cannot be appealed.

The winners, known as Nobel Prize laureates, are announced in October. They receive their medals, diplomas and prize money at ceremonies held in December.