Nobel Peace Prize 2025: Who received the world’s most prestigious award this year

OSLO, Friday, October 10, 2025 – The Norwegian Nobel Committee has named Venezuelan politician Maria Corina Machado the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. She is honored “for her tireless efforts to promote the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” G.Business reports this citing the Nobel Foundation’s official statement.

Who is Maria Corina Machado

Maria Corina Machado Parísca is a Venezuelan politician, entrepreneur, and human rights activist. She served as a member of the National Assembly of Venezuela between 2011 and 2014 and founded the civic organization Súmate, dedicated to fair elections and political transparency. She became known for her open opposition to President Nicolás Maduro’s regime and her leading role in the nationwide protests of 2014. On June 30, 2023, the Venezuelan government banned her from holding public office for 15 years because of her leadership in anti-government demonstrations and her criticism of corruption and repression.

Machado is considered one of the most prominent representatives of the liberal opposition in Latin America. Her recognition as Peace Prize laureate is viewed internationally as a symbol of the global struggle for democracy in authoritarian states. The award also sends a signal to Caracas that the international community continues to monitor the country’s democratic backsliding.

What makes the Nobel Prize unique

The Nobel Prizes were established in accordance with the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor and industrialist. Born in Stockholm in 1833, Nobel earned his fortune from the invention of dynamite. Upon his death in 1896, he stipulated that his wealth be used to create a foundation whose annual proceeds would reward those who had conferred “the greatest benefit to humankind.” The first prizes were awarded in 1901.

Today, Nobel Prizes are awarded in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. In the 1960s, the Prize in Economic Sciences was added, founded by the Swedish National Bank. The Peace Prize is traditionally awarded in Oslo, in accordance with Nobel’s personal wish. The 2025 prize carries a value of 11 million Swedish kronor — approximately 1.05 million US dollars. In addition to the monetary award, each laureate receives a diploma and a gold medal.

Nominations and selection in 2025

A total of 338 nominations were submitted for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize — 244 individuals and 94 organizations — a significant increase compared to previous years. According to the Nobel Committee’s statutes, the list of nominees remains confidential for 50 years. Only qualified institutions and individuals such as members of national parliaments, previous laureates, or professors in relevant fields may submit nominations. Self-nominations are not permitted.

According to international media, the frontrunners included organizations such as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), UNICEF, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and the Sudanese Emergency Response Rooms initiative. Among individuals, Hong Kong human rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung and Canadian jurist Irwin Cotler were mentioned, both long-standing defenders of political freedom and anti-discrimination. NATO and the International Criminal Court were also discussed among possible candidates.

Political significance and reactions

The decision to honor Maria Corina Machado triggered mixed reactions across Latin America and Europe. Democratic movements praised the recognition, while the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced it as “politically motivated.” In Brussels and Bern, the award was seen as a clear statement in support of human rights and democratic reform.

In Switzerland, where the Nobel Foundation maintains close financial cooperation with local institutions, the award is traditionally followed with keen interest. The country remains one of the world’s major hubs for peace and human rights work. In Geneva — home to the UN and the Human Rights Council — congratulations were sent to the laureate. The University of Geneva emphasized in a statement that Machado’s activism embodies civic courage and perseverance.

The case of Donald Trump and other candidates

Former U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly expressed his desire to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming to have “stopped seven global conflicts.” He described it as “an insult to the United States” that he had not been awarded the prize. Critics countered that his presidency was marked by political division and geopolitical tension. Although nominated again in 2025 by some of his supporters, he had little chance of success. Western outlets also speculated about the chances of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Julia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison. However, analysts suggested that Zelensky was unlikely to win since he remains a head of state at war.

The laureate of the previous year

In 2024, the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo received the Nobel Peace Prize for its decades-long campaign against nuclear weapons. Founded in 1956 by survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the group has consistently called for stronger support from the Japanese government and a complete global ban on nuclear arms. Its work, which includes thousands of eyewitness testimonies and UN participation, has helped establish the so-called “nuclear taboo” — the moral principle that nuclear weapons must never be used again.

Nobel Week 2025

Nobel Week began on October 6. The first laureates announced were in medicine and physiology: Mary Brunckow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi were honored for discovering the mechanisms of immune tolerance. In physics, John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis were recognized for their research on quantum tunneling and energy quantization in electrical circuits. The chemistry prize went to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar Yaghi for their pioneering work in metal-organic chemistry. The Nobel Prize in Literature 2025 was awarded to Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai for “a visionary and profound prose that reaffirms the power of art amid apocalyptic turmoil.”

The laureate of the Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced on October 13. The official award ceremony for all Nobel Prizes will take place, as tradition dictates, on December 10 in Oslo, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

Stay connected for news that works — timely, factual, and free from opinion. Learn more about this topic and related developments here: Sarah Mullally becomes first woman to lead the Anglican Church