It's Nobel Week: How are winners selected?

As the world anticipates the announcements of this year’s Nobel Prize winners from October 7 to 14, we take a look at the intricate and highly confidential process behind selecting the laureates for one of the most prestigious awards in the world.

With a rich history dating back to 1901, the Nobel Prizes have honoured significant advancements in a variety of fields, including physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, peace, and economics.

But how exactly does one become a Nobel laureate, and what goes into the selection process?

What are the Nobel Prize categories?

The Nobel Prizes were first established in 1901, in accordance with the will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. Today, six categories exist: physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and economics.

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, often referred to as the Economics Nobel, was added in 1969 through a donation from Sweden’s central bank, and although it wasn’t part of Nobel’s original five categories, it is considered one of the six prestigious awards.

Each category recognises individuals and, in some cases, organisations that have made remarkable contributions to humanity.

The Peace Prize, often considered the most watched, has seen 286 nominations this year alone, including 197 individuals and 89 organisations. Notably, nominees cannot propose themselves; instead, qualified nominators submit names for consideration.

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Who can nominate a Nobel candidate?

Nominations for a Nobel Prize are restricted to a specific group of qualified nominators. These nominators vary depending on the category, but the process follows a rigorous set of guidelines:

• Nobel Peace Prize: Nominations can be submitted by members of national assemblies and governments, heads of state, members of international courts and institutions such as The Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration, former laureates, and select university faculty.

• Nobel in Physics and Chemistry: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences selects laureates from nominations by former laureates, members of the Academy, and tenured professors at prestigious universities, particularly in the Nordic region.

• Nobel in Medicine: Similarly, the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden accepts nominations from its members, former laureates, and top professors in medical faculties.

• Nobel in Literature: Nominators include the members of the Swedish Academy and professors of literature and linguistics, as well as past winners.

• Nobel in Economics: Nominations come from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, former laureates, and permanent professors in economic sciences at select institutions worldwide.

The nomination process is tightly controlled, and nominees’ identities remain confidential for 50 years, according to Nobel regulations. Historical records, however, have revealed some controversial nominations, including Adolf Hitler in 1939 and Joseph Stalin in both 1945 and 1948, neither of whom won.

What comprises the selection process?

The Nobel selection process is an exhaustive and meticulous undertaking that spans several months. For instance, the deadline for nominations is typically the end of January each year.

Once the nominations are submitted, the relevant Nobel Committees — made up of appointed experts from their respective institutions — begin their assessments.

The first step involves sorting through hundreds of nominations to create a shortlist. Each committee is assisted by permanent advisors and external experts who review the candidates’ work, providing detailed reports.

For the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee, consisting of five members selected by the Norwegian Parliament, holds regular meetings from February to September to deliberate and narrow down the candidates. The committee strives for unanimity in its decision, but if that cannot be achieved, a simple majority vote decides the laureate.

By October, the committees for each prize have made their final selections, which are then announced over the course of Nobel Week. Nobel laureates are awarded a diploma, a Nobel Medal, and a document confirming the monetary prize, which is approximately 11 million Swedish kronor (around $1.1 million) this year.

What institutions are behind the selection?

Each of the six Nobel Prizes is awarded by a different institution, carefully selected by Alfred Nobel himself in his will:

• The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the prizes in physics, chemistry, and economics. Founded in 1739, this prestigious body includes about 440 Swedish and 175 foreign members. Its Nobel Committee members serve for three-year terms, ensuring fresh perspectives in the selection process.

• The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute, composed of 50 voting professors, selects the laureates for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The committee is elected for three-year terms, and their selections continue to honor discoveries that revolutionise medical science.

• The Swedish Academy, founded in 1786, is responsible for the Nobel Prize in Literature. The academy’s 18 lifetime members, known as “De Aderton” (The Eighteen), include some of Sweden’s most esteemed writers and scholars.

• The Norwegian Nobel Committee selects the Peace Prize laureates. Interestingly, while all other Nobel committees are based in Sweden, the Peace Prize is awarded in Norway. Alfred Nobel gave no explanation for this, but theories suggest his decision may have been influenced by Norway’s strong commitment to peace during the 1890s.

What have been some controversial nominations and notable laureates?

The Nobel Prizes are not without controversy. Some of history’s most revered figures, such as Mahatma Gandhi, were nominated multiple times but never won.

In contrast, the satirical nomination of Adolf Hitler by a Swedish lawmaker in 1939 stands as a stark example of the nomination process’s occasional controversies. Hitler’s nomination was meant as a criticism of fascism, and the nomination was quickly withdrawn.

On the other hand, figures like physicist Albert Einstein, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, and author Rabindranath Tagore are Nobel laureates whose legacies continue to inspire.

The prizes, now over a century old, remain symbols of excellence across the globe, marking significant achievements in science, literature, economics, and peace.

This year’s Nobel Week began with scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun being named recipients of the Nobel Prize in Medicine 2024 for their pioneering work on microRNA and gene regulation, on Monday.

BREAKING NEWS
The 2024 #NobelPrize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. pic.twitter.com/rg3iuN6pgY

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 7, 2024

The next day, scientists John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton were named recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2024  “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks."

BREAKING NEWS
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2024 #NobelPrize in Physics to John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.” pic.twitter.com/94LT8opG79

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 8, 2024

On Wednesday, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 was awarded jointly to David Baker “for computational protein design” and to Demis Hassabis and John M Jumper “for protein structure prediction.”

BREAKING NEWS
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2024 #NobelPrize in Chemistry with one half to David Baker “for computational protein design” and the other half jointly to Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper “for protein structure prediction.” pic.twitter.com/gYrdFFcD4T

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 9, 2024

The coming days will reveal more laureates across literature, peace, and economics, recognising individuals and organisations whose contributions have made a profound impact on our world.