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The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in Oslo on Friday, October 9, with 287 candidates submitted for consideration. Their identities remain confidential under Nobel rules, meaning the public cannot know which individuals or organisations are formally in contention.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has received nominations for 208 people and 79 organisations. Although names such as Pope Leo XIV, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and international courts have been discussed by peace researchers and Nobel observers, none represents an official list of candidates or finalists.

Announcement and award ceremony

JĆørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, is due to announce the laureate at 11am CEST at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.

The recipient will be formally honoured in Oslo on December 10, the date marking the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. The laureate will receive a medal, diploma and 12 million Swedish kronor in prize money. The Nobel Foundation raised the sum by 1 million Swedish kronor this year as the Nobel Prize reaches its 125th anniversary.

If the prize is awarded jointly, the monetary award is shared between the laureates.

Why nominations are not publicly confirmed

Nominations, evaluations and committee deliberations are kept secret for 50 years. The confidentiality requirement applies both to nominees and to the people or bodies that put them forward.

As a result, a public claim that a person or organisation has been nominated should be treated with caution. A nominator may choose to disclose a submission, but the Norwegian Nobel Committee does not verify whether a particular nomination was made or accepted.

A nomination is not an endorsement by the committee. Eligible nominators can submit candidates before the deadline, which is generally January 31. Committee members may also add candidates at their first meeting after that date.

The committee says secrecy is intended to shield both nominees and nominators and to reduce external pressure during the selection process.

Who can submit a nomination

Only specified groups and individuals are entitled to make a valid nomination. They include members of national governments and parliaments, current heads of state, selected university professors, directors of peace and foreign-policy research institutes, judges at international courts, former Nobel Peace Prize laureates, and current and former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

People and organisations cannot nominate themselves.

How the committee reaches its decision

The award is decided by the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee. Its members are appointed by Norway's parliament, the Storting, while the committee operates independently.

After nominations are reviewed, the committee identifies candidates for further consideration. Independent specialists prepare assessments, and members examine academic research and other relevant material as the field is narrowed.

The committee holds meetings from February to September. It generally seeks agreement on a winner, but a simple majority vote can decide the prize when consensus is not reached.

The standard for the Peace Prize

The prize was established through the 1895 will of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. He said it should go to work that promotes fraternity among nations, reduces or abolishes standing armies, and advances peace efforts.

Over more than a century, the understanding of that mandate has broadened. Since the Second World War, laureates have been recognised for efforts connected to disarmament, peace negotiations, democracy, human rights and stronger international cooperation.

The committee says it seeks the person or organisation that has delivered the greatest benefit to humanity in the area of peace.

Names being discussed before the decision

There is no official group of favourites. However, observers have pointed to Pope Leo XIV, the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice and Albanese as potential contenders.

Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms, a network of volunteers providing aid during the country's war, and Save the Children have also been mentioned.

It is not possible to establish whether any of those named publicly were nominated or are being considered seriously by the committee. Kristian Berg Harpviken, secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said ahead of the announcement that the world is experiencing substantial geopolitical change and stressed the importance of people and institutions working for peace and international cooperation.

The committee is permitted to withhold the Peace Prize when it concludes that no candidate meets the required standard, as it has done in some years, particularly during wartime. The Norwegian Nobel Institute has indicated, however, that worthy candidates are available for consideration in 2026.