The Nobel Peace Prize: The Norwegian Committee Selects the Recipient

By the terms of Alfred Nobel’s last will, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded by the Norwegian Nobel Committee since 1901.

Alfred Nobel left no explanation for why the Peace Prize was to be honoured by a Norwegian committee while the other four prizes were to be handled by Swedish committees. The first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded after a controversial political process that was resolved five years after Nobel died in 1896.

In its long history, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has honoured brave women and men who have stood up to repression; who have carried the hope of freedom in prison cells, on the streets, and in public squares; and who have shown by their actions that peaceful resistance can change the world. Since 1901, the Peace Prize has been awarded 105 times, to 139 laureates: 92 men, 19 women and 28 organisations.

For 2025, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize to 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.

As Alfred Nobel never explicitly stated the reason why the Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded in Norway rather than Sweden, historians and Nobel researchers have offered several educated guesses based on the circumstances of Nobel’s life and the political environment of his time.

Alfred Nobel’s will stipulated that the Peace Prize should be awarded to the person “who shall have done the most for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Over time, the Nobel Peace Prize has evolved to recognise diverse forms of peace work and related causes. However, the selection process and tradition remain unchanged, with the prize awarded and the ceremony held exclusively in Oslo, the capital of Norway.

In the earliest years of the prize, up to World War I, the prize was often awarded to pioneers of the organised peace movement. In the inter-war years, the focus shifted to active politicians who sought to promote international peace, stability, and justice through diplomacy and international agreements, and prizes were also awarded for humanitarian work.

One such laureate was Fridtjof Nansen, a Norwegian scientist, polar explorer, political activist and humanist, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922 for his leading role in the repatriation of prisoners of war, in international relief work and as the League of Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees. After the First World War, he oversaw the exchange of 430,000 prisoners of war between Russia, Germany, and the former Austria-Hungary.

Since World War II, the Nobel Peace Prize has primarily honoured efforts in four key areas: arms control and disarmament, peace negotiation, democracy and human rights, and work aimed at creating a better-organised and more peaceful world.

In the 21st century, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has also recognised efforts to limit the harm caused by human-made climate change and other environmental threats, viewing them as crucial to future global stability, and therefore relevant to the Peace Prize.

When Alfred Nobel wrote his will, Sweden and Norway were united under a single monarch – a union that lasted until 1905. Including Norway in the prize process reflected this union and gave the country a distinguished role alongside Sweden’s oversight of the scientific prizes. At the end of the 19th century, Norway was seen as more actively involved in peace and arbitration movements, with its parliament engaged in international efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully. Given Sweden’s history as a military power, Alfred Nobel may have seen Norway as less militaristic and therefore more suitable to administer the Peace Prize.

Alfred Nobel’s decision has been seen as a provocative and symbolic gesture amid the strong nationalism prevailing in Sweden when he wrote his will, suggesting his intention was to promote peace and internationalism over national rivalry. The lasting outcome is that the Nobel Peace Prize – unlike the other Nobel Prizes – is a uniquely Norwegian institution, awarded by a committee of five members appointed by the Norwegian Parliament (Storting). The committee’s composition reflects the relative strengths of political parties in the Storting and is supported by specially appointed expert advisers.

Alfred Nobel’s personal motivations may remain a mystery, but his instructions have nevertheless established a unique legacy for the Peace Prize, reflecting the values of peace and international cooperation he sought to promote.

A woman who played a pivotal and direct role in inspiring Alfred Nobel to establish the Nobel Peace Prize was Bertha von Suttner (1843–1914), born in Prague, then part of the Austrian Empire (now the Czech Republic). She wrote one of the nineteenth century’s most influential books, the anti-war novel Lay Down Your Arms (1889). The title was provocative to many, but its anti-militaristic message resonated widely.

In the 1870s, Bertha von Suttner became a close friend of Alfred Nobel and corresponded with him for years about peace. She emerged as a leader of the international peace movement and, in 1891, founded the Austrian Peace Society. At the male-dominated peace congresses, Bertha von Suttner stood out as a liberal and forceful figure. By the start of the new century, she was known as the “generalissimo of the peace movement.”

There is little doubt that Bertha von Suttner’s friendship with Alfred Nobel influenced the content of his will, with many crediting her for his establishment of the Peace Prize. They developed a close personal friendship and maintained regular correspondence, exchanging ideas about peace and disarmament. Initially, Nobel was sceptical of peace movements, but von Suttner persisted, sending him books, articles, and passionate arguments advocating for peace, which helped change his views. As Alfred Nobel said to her, “Inform me, convince me, and then I will do something great for the movement.”

Over the years, many prominent advocates of peace – such as the youngest ever Nobel laureate, Malala Yousafzai – have stepped into the global spotlight that the prize bestows. But back in 1905, it was Bertha von Suttner who became the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize – 120 years before the Norwegian Nobel Committee selected this year’s laureate, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.

The formal Nobel Peace Prize 2025 award ceremony will take place at Oslo City Hall on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. At that point, María Corina Machado will step onto the stage to receive the Nobel medal and diploma and deliver her Nobel lecture, in continuation of the long tradition of honouring those who keep striving for peace in a turbulent world.