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Nobelprize.org
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Nomination and Selection
of Nobel Laureates

Lists of Nobel Prizes and Laureates

FAQ

How can I nominate myself or someone for a Nobel Peace Prize?

Is it possible to nominate someone for a posthumous Nobel Prize?

How can I propose a new invention for a Nobel Prize?

Find the answers in the FAQ

Who Can Nominate for a Nobel Prize?

Each year the respective Nobel Committees send individual invitations to thousands of members of academies, university professors, scientists from numerous countries, previous Nobel Laureates, members of parliamentary assemblies and others, asking them to submit candidates for the Nobel Prizes for the coming year. These nominators are chosen in such a way that as many countries and universities as possible are represented over time.

Read more about how the Nobel Laureates are nominated:

Nomination of the Physics Laureates
Nomination of the Chemistry Laureates
Nomination of the Medicine Laureates
Nomination of the Literature Laureates
Nomination of the Peace Prize Laureates
Nomination of the Laureates in Economic Sciences


Facts

  • The nomination processes start in September each year.
  • No person can nominate herself/himself for a Nobel Prize.
  • The Nobel Committees are responsible for the selection of the candidates.
  • The names of the nominees cannot be revealed until 50 years later.

The Nobel Peace Prize and Nominations

Norwegian flag

Why a Norwegian Nobel Committe?

Alfred Nobel left no explanation as to why the Peace Prize was to be awarded by a Norwegian committee while the other four prizes were to be handled by Swedish committees.

Read more about the Norwegian Nobel Committee
Numbers 259

2013 Nominations

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has received valid nominations of 259 different individuals and organizations for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. 50 of these are organizations.

Read more about the selection of Peace Prize Laureates
Archive

Explore the Nomination Archive

Search among nominators and nominees in the database spanning the years 1901-1956.

Explore the nomination archive
Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi - Nominated but Never Awarded

Find out why Mahatma Gandhi was never awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Read about the 'missing Laureate'

The Nobel Prize in Literature and Nominations

Number 195

2013 Nominations

For the 2013 Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy has received 195 valid nominations, among them, 48 are first time nominees.

Read more about the selection of Literature Laureates
Silhouettes

Who Did the Laureates Nominate?

See which authors the Literature Laureates themselves nominated 1901-1950.

Nominations by Nobel Laureates
Rabindranath Tagore on his 70th birthday. Photo taken in May 1931. Source: German Federal Archives, via Wikimedia Commons. Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany license. Attribution: Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-11643/CC-BY-SA. Photographer unknown

One Year Only

Rabindranath Tagore, Sinclair Lewis, Pearl Buck, Bertrand Russell and William Faulkner are some of the authors who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature after being nominated in one year only.

Nominations for the Nobel Prize in Literature per year
Archive

Explore the Nomination Archive

Search among nominators and nominees in the database spanning the years 1901-1950.

Explore the nomination archive