The 2026 Nobel Prizes are set to be awarded this week, with the announcement of the prize for physiology of medicine on Monday. Six prizes in total are awarded annually, recognizing groundbreaking contributions in physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry, economic sciences, literature, and peace work. This year, there were 287 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize — 208 individuals and 79 organizations, the Nobel committee said.
Previous Nobel Peace Prize recipients include Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai (2014); President Barack Obama (2009); Nelson Mandela and F. W. de Klerk (1993); the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1989); and Mother Teresa (1979). One prize will be announced each day from Oct. 5 to 9, with one more on Oct. 12, between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. Eastern time.
Announcements are mainly made from Oslo and Stockholm and are streamed live on the official digital channels of the Nobel Prize organization. The award for physiology or medicine was awarded on Oct. 5 to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their discoveries in neuroscience. Nobel Prize laureates receive a diploma, a medal and a document detailing the Nobel Prize amount, which this year is 12 million Swedish kronor, or about $1.2 million in current exchange rates.
Among the notable winners last year were the scientists Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi, who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries of peripheral immune tolerance. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan pro-democracy opposition leader who has been in hiding since 2024.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing