Nobel Peace Prize Winners: History and Notable Laureates
The Nobel Peace Prize, awarded since 1901 in accordance with Alfred Nobel's will and decided by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, honours outstanding contributions to peace, disarmament, and human rights. Laureates include both individuals and organizations, reflecting the many forms that peacebuilding can take across different eras and regions of the world.
Among the most recognized honours in the world, the Nobel Peace Prize stands apart for its longevity, its breadth, and the moral weight it carries. Since the first award was presented in 1901, the prize has been given to heads of state, grassroots activists, humanitarian organizations, and international institutions alike. Understanding who wins this prize — and why — offers a window into how the global community defines peace at any given moment in history.
This overview covers the origins of the award, the selection process, a survey of landmark laureates, organizations that have received the prize, notable records, and the debates that have surrounded the prize throughout its history. For readers interested in exploring related topics, our Nobel Peace Prize section and research pages provide further context.
What the Nobel Peace Prize Is
The Nobel Peace Prize traces its origins to Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist and inventor who accumulated a substantial fortune largely through the development of dynamite and other explosives. When Nobel died in 1896, his will specified that the bulk of his estate should be used to establish prizes rewarding excellence in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The peace prize was the only one of the five original categories that Nobel assigned to a Norwegian institution rather than a Swedish one — a choice that remains somewhat mysterious to historians, though it may have reflected his admiration for the Norwegian parliament's efforts toward international arbitration at the time.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, appointed by the Norwegian parliament (Storting), is responsible for selecting the peace laureate each year. The committee operates independently of the Norwegian government, and its members serve fixed terms. Its deliberations are kept strictly confidential, and the nominations themselves remain sealed for fifty years after the award year.
The prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway — while the other Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm, Sweden — on December 10 each year, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. The laureate receives a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary award. The prize can be shared among up to three recipients in a given year, and it can be awarded to organizations as well as to individuals.
How Laureates Are Chosen
The nomination process opens each September and closes on February 1 of the award year. Those eligible to submit nominations include members of national governments and parliaments, university professors in relevant fields such as law, political science, and history, former laureates, members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee itself, and directors of certain peace research institutes. Self-nomination is not permitted.
Once nominations close, the Norwegian Nobel Committee begins a months-long evaluation process assisted by its permanent secretariat and external advisers. Candidates are assessed against the criteria set out in Nobel's will: having "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
The committee announces its decision in October, giving the world roughly two months before the formal ceremony on December 10. In years when the committee cannot identify a deserving candidate — or when circumstances make an award inadvisable — it reserves the right to withhold the prize entirely, which has happened on several occasions throughout the prize's history.
Notable Individual Laureates Across Eras
The roster of individual Nobel Peace Prize winners spans more than a century and reflects shifting understandings of what peace work means.
Early decades. The prize's early years favoured diplomats, jurists, and peace congress organizers. Henri Dunant, co-founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the driving force behind the first Geneva Convention, shared the inaugural prize in 1901 with Frédéric Passy, a French economist and founder of the first French peace society. Bertha von Suttner, the Austrian pacifist and novelist whose friendship with Alfred Nobel is said to have influenced his decision to include a peace prize, received the award in 1905 — the first woman to do so.
Mid-twentieth century. Albert Schweitzer, the Alsatian physician and humanitarian who devoted decades to medical work in Gabon, received the prize in 1952. Albert Luthuli, president of the African National Congress and a leading voice for nonviolent resistance against apartheid in South Africa, was honoured in 1960 — the first African laureate. Martin Luther King Jr., the Baptist minister who led the American civil rights movement and articulated a philosophy of nonviolent protest rooted in the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, received the prize in 1964 at age 35. Lester B. Pearson, the Canadian statesman who helped establish the concept of United Nations peacekeeping operations during the Suez Crisis, was awarded the prize in 1957.
Late twentieth century. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, founder of the Missionaries of Charity and tireless advocate for the poorest of the poor, received the prize in 1979. Lech Wałęsa, leader of Poland's Solidarity movement and a central figure in the peaceful transition away from communist rule in Eastern Europe, was honoured in 1983. Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest in Burma (Myanmar) for her nonviolent opposition to military rule, received the prize in 1991, though she was unable to collect it in person for many years. Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk jointly received the prize in 1993 for their roles in negotiating the end of apartheid and laying the groundwork for South Africa's democratic transition. Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin shared the 1994 prize for their efforts toward a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.
Twenty-first century. Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan environmental and political activist who founded the Green Belt Movement and linked environmental sustainability with peace and women's rights, received the prize in 2004 — the first African woman to be so honoured. Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladeshi economist who pioneered microfinance through Grameen Bank as a tool for poverty reduction, shared the prize in 2006 with the institution he founded. Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani education activist who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban and continued her advocacy for girls' right to education, received the prize in 2014 at age 17, making her the youngest Nobel laureate of any category. Denis Mukwege, the Congolese gynecologist who has devoted his career to treating survivors of sexual violence in conflict zones, and Nadia Murad, a Yazidi human rights activist and survivor of captivity under the Islamic State, jointly received the prize in 2018.
Organizations That Have Won the Nobel Peace Prize
The prize has been awarded to organizations on numerous occasions, recognizing that institutional work for peace can be as consequential as that of any individual.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) holds a unique place in the prize's history, having received it three times — in 1917, 1944, and 1963. The first two awards came during the World Wars, recognizing the ICRC's work on behalf of prisoners of war and civilian populations. The 1963 award was shared with the broader International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement on the occasion of its centenary.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has received the prize twice, in 1954 and 1981, for its work protecting and assisting refugees. The United Nations itself, along with its then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan, received the prize in 2001. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shared the 2007 prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore for their efforts to build and disseminate greater knowledge about human-made climate change and to lay the groundwork for measures to counteract it.
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), the international humanitarian medical organization, received the prize in 1999. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a coalition of non-governmental organizations advocating for a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, received the prize in 2017.
Organizations working on nuclear disarmament have featured prominently: the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs and its founder Joseph Rotblat shared the 1995 prize for their work toward the elimination of nuclear weapons.
For readers interested in how current organizations contribute to peace efforts, our initiatives page highlights ongoing work in this space.
Records and Curiosities
| Laureate or Organization | Year | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Henri Dunant & Frédéric Passy | 1901 | First Nobel Peace Prize recipients; Dunant co-founded the ICRC |
| Bertha von Suttner | 1905 | First woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize; Austrian pacifist author |
| International Committee of the Red Cross | 1917, 1944, 1963 | Only entity to have received the prize three times |
| Martin Luther King Jr. | 1964 | Leader of the U.S. civil rights movement; nonviolent resistance |
| Mother Teresa | 1979 | Founder of the Missionaries of Charity; work with the poor in Calcutta |
| Nelson Mandela & F.W. de Klerk | 1993 | Negotiated peaceful end of apartheid in South Africa |
| Wangari Maathai | 2004 | First African woman laureate; founder of the Green Belt Movement |
| Malala Yousafzai | 2014 | Youngest Nobel laureate ever (age 17); advocate for girls' education |
| Denis Mukwege & Nadia Murad | 2018 | Combating sexual violence in conflict; survivors' rights advocacy |
Youngest laureate. Malala Yousafzai, who received the prize in 2014 at the age of 17, is the youngest person ever to be awarded a Nobel Prize in any category. She shared the prize with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian children's rights activist.
Multiple awards to one organization. As noted above, the ICRC is the only entity to have received the Nobel Peace Prize three times, a record unlikely to be broken.
Years when no prize was awarded. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has withheld the prize in a number of years, particularly during periods of global conflict. No prize was given during most of the First World War years (1914–1916, 1918) and during the Second World War (1939–1943). The prize has also been withheld in a few post-war years when the committee felt no suitable candidate was available.
Declined and contested prizes. Le Duc Tho, the Vietnamese politician who was offered the prize jointly with Henry Kissinger in 1973 for their roles in negotiating a ceasefire in Vietnam, declined to accept it — the only person ever to voluntarily refuse the Nobel Peace Prize. The award itself was deeply controversial, and two members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee resigned in protest.
Criticism and Debates
Despite its prestige, the Nobel Peace Prize has attracted sustained criticism throughout its history, and these debates are worth understanding for any serious student of peacebuilding.
One persistent critique concerns the geographical and cultural concentration of laureates. For much of its history, the prize was awarded overwhelmingly to Europeans and North Americans, reflecting the networks and assumptions of those making nominations. While the picture has diversified considerably in recent decades, critics argue that grassroots peacemakers in the Global South remain underrecognized.
A second area of controversy involves the awarding of the prize to political figures who are simultaneously engaged in conflicts. The joint award to Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin in 1994 was greeted with fierce opposition in some quarters, as was the award to Henry Kissinger in 1973. Critics argue that recognizing sitting politicians or negotiators can lend unwarranted legitimacy to processes that remain unresolved or that have produced harmful outcomes.
There is also ongoing debate about whether the prize should be awarded based on anticipated contributions — rewarding promise rather than proven achievement — or strictly on a track record of accomplished work. Several prizes, including one awarded early in the twenty-first century to a newly inaugurated world leader, generated controversy on precisely these grounds.
Finally, some scholars and practitioners argue that the very concept of "peace" embedded in the prize's criteria has evolved in ways that Alfred Nobel did not anticipate. The inclusion of climate change, poverty reduction, and women's rights as peace issues reflects a broader, more structural understanding of what causes conflict and what sustains stability — a development that most observers welcome, even as it complicates the committee's task.
These debates do not diminish the prize's significance; if anything, they reflect how seriously the world takes the question of who deserves to be recognized for advancing peace.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides who receives the Nobel Peace Prize?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member body appointed by the Norwegian parliament, makes the final decision. The committee works independently of the Norwegian government and consults with a permanent secretariat and external advisers before announcing its choice each October. Nominations can be submitted by a wide range of individuals, including members of national parliaments, university professors in relevant disciplines, and former laureates, but the committee alone determines the recipient.
Where is the Nobel Peace Prize awarded?
The prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, on December 10 each year — the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. This distinguishes it from the other Nobel Prizes, which are presented in Stockholm, Sweden. The award ceremony typically takes place at Oslo City Hall, followed by a Nobel Peace Prize Concert and other related events.
Can organizations receive the Nobel Peace Prize?
Yes. The prize can be awarded to organizations as well as to individuals, and there is no restriction on the type of organization — it can be a non-governmental body, an intergovernmental institution, or a civil society coalition. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Médecins Sans Frontières are among the many organizations that have received the prize. In any given year, the prize may go entirely to an organization, entirely to an individual, or be shared between individuals and/or organizations, up to a maximum of three recipients.
Who is the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize?
Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan is the youngest Nobel laureate in any category. She received the prize in 2014 at the age of 17 for her advocacy on behalf of girls' right to education, work she continued even after surviving a targeted assassination attempt by the Taliban. She shared the prize that year with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian activist who spent decades campaigning against child labour and for children's right to education.