Eligible people and institutions nominate candidates; a Nobel Committee for each prize reviews those nominations and may consult experts; then the prize-awarding institution makes the final choice. The Nobel Foundation administers the shared framework, but it does not select the laureates. Nomination and deliberation information remains confidential for 50 years.
How the selection process works
- Nominations open. The process starts in September, when eligible nominators are invited to propose candidates. Who may nominate depends on the prize and is set by its responsible awarding body. Self-nominations are not considered. The Nobel Foundation statutes describe the nomination period as the preceding 12 months up to 1 February; Nobel Prize public materials describe the deadline as 31 January. The sources do not explain the difference, so neither date should be presented as a universally harmonized deadline.
- Committees check nominations. The relevant committee checks that submissions are valid and came from eligible nominators. A nomination applies only to that year; a candidate must be nominated again in a later year to be considered again.
- Committees assess candidates. The committee reviews the nominations, narrows the field and examines candidates in depth, drawing on advice from domestic and foreign experts. The details of this assessment differ among prize committees.
- A recommendation goes to the awarding institution. The committee prepares a report and recommends a candidate or candidates to the institution responsible for that prize.
- The awarding institution decides. The relevant institution—not just the committee—makes the final choice. Laureates are notified before the public announcement. The prizes are presented on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
Who makes the final decision for each prize?
Each category has its own awarding body. The committee that assesses nominations and the institution that makes the final decision have roles in the process, but they should not be treated as interchangeable.
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| Prize category | Final awarding body | Relevant distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences | The Academy also awards Chemistry and Economic Sciences. |
| Chemistry | Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences | The Academy also awards Physics and Economic Sciences. |
| Physiology or Medicine | Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet | The 2024 Nobel Foundation Annual Review states that the Assembly has 50 members. |
| Literature | Swedish Academy | The 2024 Nobel Foundation Annual Review states that the Academy has 18 members. |
| Peace | Norwegian Nobel Committee | The committee has five members appointed by the Norwegian Storting. |
| Economic Sciences | Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences | The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel was established by Sweden’s central bank in 1968; it was not one of the five prizes specified in Alfred Nobel’s will. |
The Nobel Foundation administers the common framework and funds the prize process. It is the category-specific awarding bodies that select laureates.
What the rules mean for nominees and winners
Nomination is not the same as winning
A nomination makes a candidate eligible for consideration in that year; it does not guarantee selection. Because nominations are valid for one year only, a candidate who is not selected must be nominated again to be considered in a subsequent year.
#1 Best Overall
- Author: Ishiguro, Kazuo.
- Publisher: Vintage International
- Pages: 245
- Publication Date: 1990-09-12
- Edition: First Edition
Current nominee lists are not public
Nominee identities and information about nominations and award deliberations are confidential for 50 years under the Nobel Foundation statutes. A current-year list of nominees therefore cannot be verified from official public records.
A prize can be shared or withheld
A prize may be divided equally between two works. If a rewarded work was produced by two or three people, they may receive the prize jointly; no prize can be shared among more than three people. A prize may also be withheld if no work under consideration meets the required standard.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is common across the prizes—and what varies
The broad sequence is consistent: eligible nominators put forward candidates, a committee assesses them and recommends a choice, and the responsible awarding institution decides. The nomination rights, committee arrangements and assessment procedures are not identical across categories. The available official descriptions do not establish a complete, current side-by-side list of who may nominate for every prize, so it is not possible to give one universal nominator checklist.
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