Six prizes were awarded for the achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 14 laureates’ work and discoveries range from quantum tunnelling to advancing democratic rights.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet has decided to award the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine to:
- Mary E Brunkow, Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, USA.
- Fred Ramsdell, Sonoma Biotherapeutics, San Francisco, USA.
- Shimon Sakaguchi, Osaka University, Japan.
“For their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance”
They discovered how the immune system is kept in check. The body’s powerful immune system must be regulated, or it may attack our own organs. Mary E Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2025 for their groundbreaking discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance, which prevents the immune system from harming the body.
The Nobel Prize in Physics The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics to:
- John Clarke, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
- Michel H Devoret, Yale University, New Haven, and the University of California, Santa Barbara, USA.
- John M Martinis, University of California, Santa Barbara, and Qolab, Los Angeles, USA.
“For the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit”
Their experiments on a chip revealed quantum physics in action.A major question in physics is the maximum size of a system exhibiting quantum-mechanical effects. The laureates conducted experiments with an electrical circuit, demonstrating both quantum-mechanical tunnelling and quantised energy levels in a system large enough to be held in one’s hand.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025 to:
- Susumu Kitagawa, Kyoto University, Japan.
- Richard Robson, University of Melbourne, Australia.
- Omar M Yaghi, University of California, Berkeley, USA.
“For the development of metal-organic frameworks”
Their molecular architecture contains room for chemistry. The Nobel Prize laureates have created molecular constructions with large spaces through which gases and other chemicals can flow. These constructions, metal-organic frameworks, can be used to harvest water from desert air, capture carbon dioxide, store toxic gases or catalyse chemical reactions.
The Nobel Prize in Literature The Swedish Academy has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 to:
- Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai.
“For his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art”
László Krasznahorkai is an epic writer in the Central European tradition, extending from Franz Kafka to Thomas Bernhard, characterised by absurdism and grotesque excess. But there are more strings to his bow, and he soon looks to the East in adopting a more contemplative, finely calibrated tone. The result is a string of works inspired by the deep-seated impressions left by his journeys to China and Japan.
The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences The prize is officially called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel but is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and the Academy has decided to award the Prize in Economic Sciences 2025 to:
- Joel Mokyr, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA.
“For having identified the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress”
- Peter Howitt, Brown University, Providence, USA, and Philippe Aghion, Collège de France and INSEAD, Paris, France, and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
“For having explained innovation-driven economic growth, including the key principle of creative destruction”
The three men represent contrasting but complementary approaches to economics. Dutch-born Joel Mokyr is an economic historian who delved into long-term trends using historical sources, while Canadian-born Peter Howitt and Philippe Aghion relied on mathematics to explain how creative destruction works.
Philippe Aghion is also a recent honorary doctor at Stockholm University due to his strong connection to the university and his work supporting students.
The Nobel Peace Prize The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 to:
- Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado.
“For her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy”
In the past year, María Corina Machado has been forced to live in hiding. Despite serious threats against her life, she has remained in the country, a choice that has inspired millions of people. She has brought together the opposition in her country. She has never wavered in resisting the militarisation of Venezuelan society. She has been steadfast in her support for a peaceful transition to democracy.
