The 2026 Nobel Prizes are set to be awarded this week, with the announcement of the prize for physiology or medicine on Monday.
Every October, committees in Sweden and Norway name Nobel laureates in a variety of prizes related to science, literature and economics, as well as peace work. Six prizes in total are awarded.
Laureates will receive their medals, prize money and diplomas in Stockholm and Oslo in December.
Here is a quick guide to this year’s prizes.
What are the Nobel Prizes?
Six Nobel Prizes are awarded every year, each recognizing an individual’s or an organization’s groundbreaking contribution in a specific field. Prizes are given for physiology or medicine, physics, chemistry, economic sciences, literature and peace work, the last of which often draws the most attention because of the fame of the people and groups nominated.
This year, there were 287 candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize — 208 individuals and 79 organizations, the Nobel committee said. Last year, the institute received 338 nominations. The highest number ever received was 376 candidates, in 2016. (Here’s how those nominations work.)
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).
When are the awards announced?
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.
What do the laureates receive?
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.
Who were last year’s recipients?
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 system that explains how the immune system prevents rogue cells from attacking tissues and organs.
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan pro-democracy opposition leader who has been in hiding since 2024. Ms. Machado later gifted her medal to President Trump after he authorized a military raid to oust President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, who is awaiting trial on narco-terrorism, among other charges, in New York. The Norwegian Nobel Institute later issued a statement saying that the peace prize — which Mr. Trump has long coveted — was not transferable.
“A laureate cannot share the prize with others, nor transfer it once it has been announced,” the committee said. “A Nobel Peace Prize can also never be revoked. The decision is final and applies for all time.”
See a complete list of 2025 winners here.
The post What to Know as the 2026 Nobel Prizes Are Awarded appeared first on New York Times.
