Women who changed the world

© Nobel Media. Ill. Niklas Elmehed

Nobel Prize awarded women

The Nobel Prize and the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel have been awarded to women 66 times between 1901 and 2024. Only one woman, Marie Curie, has been honoured twice, with the Nobel Prize in Physics 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1911. This means that 65 women in total have been awarded the Nobel Prize between 1901 and 2024.

Illustration showing Nobel Prizes awarded to women, 1901–2024.
Nobel Prizes awarded to women, 1901–2024. Ill. Niklas Elmehed © Nobel Prize Outreach

The Nobel Prize in Physics

Nobel Prize in Physics 2023

“for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in matter”

Nobel Prize in Physics 2020

“for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy”

Nobel Prize in Physics 2018

“for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics”
“for their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses”

Nobel Prize in Physics 1963

“for their discoveries concerning nuclear shell structure”

Nobel Prize in Physics 1903

“in recognition of the extraordinary services they have rendered by their joint researches on the radiation phenomena discovered by Professor Henri Becquerel”

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2022

“for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry”

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2020

“for the development of a method for genome editing”
“for the development of a method for genome editing”

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2018

“for the directed evolution of enzymes”

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009

“for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome”

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1964

“for her determinations by X-ray techniques of the structures of important biochemical substances”

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1935

“in recognition of their synthesis of new radioactive elements”

Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1911

“in recognition of her services to the advancement of chemistry by the discovery of the elements radium and polonium, by the isolation of radium and the study of the nature and compounds of this remarkable element”

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023

“for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015

“for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2014

“for their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2009

“for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase”
“for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008

“for their discovery of human immunodeficiency virus”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2004

“for their discoveries of odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1995

“for their discoveries concerning the genetic control of early embryonic development”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1988

“for their discoveries of important principles for drug treatment”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1986

“for their discoveries of growth factors”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1983

“for her discovery of mobile genetic elements”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1977

“for the development of radioimmunoassays of peptide hormones”

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1947

“for their discovery of the course of the catalytic conversion of glycogen”

The Nobel Prize in Literature

Nobel Prize in Literature 2024

“for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life”

Nobel Prize in Literature 2022

“for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”

Nobel Prize in Literature 2020

“for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal”

Nobel Prize in Literature 2018

“for a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life”

Nobel Prize in Literature 2015

“for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time”

Nobel Prize in Literature 2013

“master of the contemporary short story”

Nobel Prize in Literature 2009

“who, with the concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose, depicts the landscape of the dispossessed”

Nobel Prize in Literature 2007

“that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny”

Nobel Prize in Literature 2004

“for her musical flow of voices and counter-voices in novels and plays that with extraordinary linguistic zeal reveal the absurdity of society's clichés and their subjugating power”

Nobel Prize in Literature 1996

“for poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality”

Nobel Prize in Literature 1993

“who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality”

Nobel Prize in Literature 1991

“who through her magnificent epic writing has - in the words of Alfred Nobel - been of very great benefit to humanity”

Nobel Prize in Literature 1966

“for her outstanding lyrical and dramatic writing, which interprets Israel's destiny with touching strength”

Nobel Prize in Literature 1945

“for her lyric poetry which, inspired by powerful emotions, has made her name a symbol of the idealistic aspirations of the entire Latin American world”

Nobel Prize in Literature 1938

“for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces”

Nobel Prize in Literature 1928

“principally for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages”

Nobel Prize in Literature 1926

“for her idealistically inspired writings which with plastic clarity picture the life on her native island and with depth and sympathy deal with human problems in general”

Nobel Prize in Literature 1909

“in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings”

The Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel Peace Prize 2023

“for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all”

Nobel Peace Prize 2021

“for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace”

Nobel Peace Prize 2018

“for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict”

Nobel Peace Prize 2014

“for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education”

Nobel Peace Prize 2011

“for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work”
“for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work”
“for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work”

Nobel Peace Prize 2004

“for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace”

Nobel Peace Prize 2003

“for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children”

Nobel Peace Prize 1997

“for their work for the banning and clearing of anti-personnel mines”

Nobel Peace Prize 1992

“for her struggle for social justice and ethno-cultural reconciliation based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples”

Nobel Peace Prize 1991

“for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights”

Nobel Peace Prize 1982

“for their work for disarmament and nuclear and weapon-free zones”

Nobel Peace Prize 1979

“for her work for bringing help to suffering humanity”

Nobel Peace Prize 1976

“for the courageous efforts in founding a movement to put an end to the violent conflict in Northern Ireland”
“for the courageous efforts in founding a movement to put an end to the violent conflict in Northern Ireland”

Nobel Peace Prize 1946

“for her lifelong work for the cause of peace”

Nobel Peace Prize 1931

“for their assiduous effort to revive the ideal of peace and to rekindle the spirit of peace in their own nation and in the whole of mankind”

Nobel Peace Prize 1905

“for her audacity to oppose the horrors of war”

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2023

“for having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes”

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2019

“for their experimental approach to alleviating global poverty”

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2009

“for her analysis of economic governance, especially the commons”
Nobel Prize awarded women 1901-2024
 
 
 

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