Behind the secretive process that turns thousands of nominations into the world’s most prestigious prizes.
Nobel committees review nominations, consult experts and recommend candidates before final votes.
2026 Medicine and Physics prizes have already been awarded, with four categories still to come.
Laureates receive a medal, diploma and 12 million Swedish kronor at ceremonies in December.
Every year, Nobel Prize announcements put scientists, writers, economists, peace activists and organisations around the world under the spotlight. But behind the famous ceremonies is a lengthy and highly confidential process that can take months—and, in the case of scientific discoveries, sometimes decades.
The 2026 Nobel Prize season began on October 5 with the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The prize was awarded jointly to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics, a technology that allows scientists to control nerve-cell activity using light. Their work has transformed neuroscience and opened new ways of studying the brain.
The following day, Belgian-American physicist Francis Halzen was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin. IceCube uses a vast volume of Antarctic ice and thousands of sensors to detect these elusive particles arriving from deep space.
The remaining 2026 prizes are being announced throughout Nobel Week. Chemistry is scheduled for October 7, Literature for October 8, the Peace Prize for October 9 and the Economic Sciences prize for October 12.
Who Chooses the Winners?
The Nobel Prizes are awarded by different institutions.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences selects the laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Economic Sciences. The Karolinska Institute is responsible for Physiology or Medicine, while the Swedish Academy selects the Literature laureate. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, awards the Peace Prize.
Thousands of qualified individuals—including university professors, scientists, academy members, previous laureates and parliamentarians—are invited to nominate candidates.
The committees then examine the nominations, consult specialists and assess the candidates before producing recommendations for the relevant awarding institutions.
A Nomination Does Not Guarantee a Prize
Being nominated for a Nobel Prize does not mean a candidate is close to winning.
Some scientists have been nominated repeatedly without ever receiving the award. German physicist Arnold Sommerfeld, for example, was nominated dozens of times but never became a Nobel laureate.
For scientific prizes in particular, committees often wait to see whether a discovery can withstand the test of time and demonstrate lasting importance.
The Unexpected Phone Call
For those eventually selected, the news often arrives unexpectedly.
Laureates are generally contacted by telephone shortly before the official announcement. Nobel officials have noted that the calls can come at unusual times and in unlikely places.
Some winners have even failed to answer their phones or initially believed that the caller was playing a prank.
That moment is followed by worldwide attention as the Nobel committees formally announce the winners.
From Alfred Nobel’s Will to a Global Tradition
The prizes were created according to the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor and industrialist whose fortune was built largely through his inventions, including dynamite.
Nobel directed that much of his fortune be used to reward those who had conferred the greatest benefit on humanity.
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, six years after his death.
More than a century later, the prizes remain among the world's most prestigious recognitions, highlighting achievements that can influence science, literature, peace and society for generations.
December 10 Ceremony
After the October announcements, attention turns to the Nobel Prize ceremonies on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
The ceremonies for most prizes are held in Stockholm, while the Peace Prize is presented in Oslo.
Each laureate receives a gold medal, a diploma and a monetary award. In 2026, the prize amount is 12 million Swedish kronor, or roughly US$1.2 million.
The 2026 awards therefore offer a fresh illustration of how the Nobel system works—from scientific discoveries that reshape our understanding of the brain and universe to the decisions still to come in chemistry, literature, peace and economics.
For the winners, the process may remain secret for months or years. But when the phone finally rings, a career can instantly become part of Nobel history.
