2026 Nobel Peace Prize

2026 Nobel Peace Prize

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is to be awarded to South African jurist Navi Pillay. This international peace prize was established according to Alfred Nobel's will that was announced on 9 October 2026 by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and will be awarded on 10 December 2026 in Oslo, Norway.

Navi Pillay

2026 Nobel Peace Prize

Pillay was born in Durban, South Africa, in 1941, to a family of Indian Tamil descent. In 1967, she founded her own law firm and defended anti-apartheid activists. She earned a Doctor of Juridical Science degree from Harvard University in 1988. In 1995, she was appointed to the High Court of South Africa. In 1999, she became a judge and President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she helped establish that sexual violence could constitute crimes against humanity and genocide. She later served as a judge on the International Criminal Court and as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. In 2019, she became an ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in the case concerning alleged Rohingya genocide in Myanmar. From 2021 to 2025, she chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Navi Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize "for her efforts to promote peace and international law."

Reactions

South Africa and international institutions previously associated with Pillay

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated Pillay and praised her selection, saying she has "served humanity with principle and the belief that the world can and should be a better place." He celebrated her as the fifth South African to win the award.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres celebrated her award as "a tribute to all those working to uphold and defend international law, the rule of law and human rights, and secure peace, justice and human dignity."

International

U.S. President Donald Trump criticised the Norwegian Nobel Committee, claiming it has "shamed itself beyond repair" for selecting Pillay, who Trump described as an "unabashed hater of America and Israel." He also repeated his claims that he settled 8 wars and subsequently argued he should have won the award 8 times. After the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize announcement he also claimed to have settled 8 wars and expressed disappointment in not being awarded the prize himself. Following his criticism of Pillay, Trump's administration announced further sanctions on the International Criminal Court, which Pillay served as a judge until 2008.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also critiqued the decision, saying the committee "has lost its moral compass" for awarding "a bigot who built her career around inventing and propagating blood libels against the only Jewish state." The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which Pillay chaired, reported that Netanyahu and his government displayed genocidal intent in the Gaza genocide.

Hamas welcomed the decision, described the award as "an important step toward international justice", praising Pillay's involvement in investigating Israel's military operations in Gaza and calling for further international legal action against Israeli officials.

Other candidates

2026 Nobel Peace Prize

Two hundred and eight individuals and 79 organisations were nominated. While the Norwegian Nobel Committee maintains strict secrecy, individual nominators sometimes make their nominations known, whether to publicise themselves or their preferred candidate.

Qualified nominators

According to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, a nomination is considered valid if it is submitted by a person or a group of people within these categories:

<table><thead><tr><th>Nominee</th><th>Country/ Headquarters</th><th>Motivations</th><th>Nominator(s)</th><th>Source</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td colspan="5">Individuals</td></tr><tr><td>Mykola Kuleba (1972–)</td><td> Ukraine</td><td>"for rescuing Ukrainian children"</td><td>Peace Research Institute Oslo</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hussam Abu Safiya (1973–)</td><td> Palestine</td><td rowspan="2">as [with Albanese] "an expression of respect for the courage, efforts, and perseverance of individuals who defend fundamental human values in the most difficult circumstances, representing a contribution to peace that transcends political divisions."</td><td rowspan="2">Matjaž Nemec et al. (1980–)</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>Sara Al-Saqqa (1992–)</td><td> Palestine</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">Francesca Albanese (1977–)</td><td rowspan="3"> Italy</td><td>"for through her work, she has upheld the principles of international law and nonviolent accountability while amplifying the rights and voices of those most impacted by war, genocide, and injustice."</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"for her work for peace by reporting on the atrocities in Gaza, promoting concrete measures to end the war and pointing out the duty of Western leaders to stop their complicity in Israel's violations of international law."</td><td>Marie Sneve Martinussen (1985–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"[with Abu Safiya and Al-Saqqa] as an expression of respect for the courage, efforts, and perseverance of individuals who defend fundamental human values in the most difficult circumstances, representing a contribution to peace that transcends political divisions."</td><td>Matjaž Nemec et al. (1980–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>John Coale (1946–)</td><td> United States</td><td>"[with Trump] for the successful mediation resulting in the release of over 300 political prisoners in Belarus and the restoration of diplomatic dialogue to stabilize security on the European Union's eastern borders."</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Alokiir Malual (?–)</td><td> South Sudan</td><td>"who has worked for many years to advance peace, dialogue and women’s participation in the peace process in South Sudan."</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Maia Sandu (1972–)</td><td> Moldova</td><td>"for her nonviolent struggle for democracy, the rule of law and peace."</td><td>Arild Hermstad (1966–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Greta Thunberg (2003–)</td><td> Sweden</td><td>"for her principled and non-violent efforts for peace, justice and international solidarity, especially in her efforts for Gaza, climate, and indigenous peoples."</td><td>Frøya Sjursæther (2006–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">Donald Trump (1946–)</td><td rowspan="3"> United States</td><td>"for his role in brokering a historic ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a diplomatic breakthrough achieved through direct engagement with Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey."</td><td>Anna Paulina Luna (1989–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"in recognition of his historic Abraham Accords and his record of advancing decisive diplomacy and delivering peace through strength."</td><td>Claudia Tenney (1961–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"[with Coale] For the successful mediation resulting in the release of over 300 political prisoners in Belarus and the restoration of diplomatic dialogue to stabilize security on the European Union's eastern borders."</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Volodymyr Zelenskyy (1978–)</td><td> Ukraine</td><td>"[with the people of Ukraine] for their efforts to preserve the peace of European democracies against Russian aggression."</td><td>Dag Øistein Endsjø (1968–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Yulia Navalnaya (1977–)</td><td> Russia</td><td>"for her work as a Russian opposition leader following the death of her husband, Alexei Navalny"</td><td>TBD</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pope Leo XIV (1955–)</td><td> Vatican City  Peru  United States</td><td>"for his focus on humility, service, and climate action."</td><td>Christopher Hale (1989–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dr. Hak Ja Han</td><td> South Korea</td><td>"her lifelong dedication to international peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue, humanitarian cooperation, and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula"</td><td>Dr. Ján Figeľ (1960–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nikolai Kurbatov (1990–)</td><td> Russia</td><td></td><td>Konstantin Klimenko-Bogdanov (1962–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Arthur Dénouveaux (1986–)</td><td> France</td><td></td><td>Éric Bothorel (1966–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="5">Organizations</td></tr><tr><td>Save the Children (founded in 1919)</td><td>London</td><td>"with Mykola Kuleba for rescuing Ukrainian children"</td><td>Peace Research Institute Oslo</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>International Association of Judges (founded in 1953)</td><td>Salzburg</td><td rowspan="2">"for their important function in defending democratic principles and controlling the exercise of authority."</td><td rowspan="2">Even Eriksen (1995–)</td><td rowspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td>International Criminal Court & International Court of Justice (founded in 1945)</td><td>The Hague</td></tr><tr><td>Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms</td><td> Sudan</td><td>"creating a, volunteer-led, grassroots network that provides lifesaving aid—food, medical care, and evacuation—amidst the 2023-2026 Sudanese civil war"</td><td>Peace Research Institute Oslo</td><td></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">Minneapolis (founded in 1856)</td><td rowspan="2"> United States</td><td>"for the moral leadership of the people and city of Minneapolis [setting] an example for those struggling against fascism everywhere on the face of a troubled planet."</td><td>The Nation (founded in 1865)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"as tribute to the Minneapolis residents' fight against the immigration police ICE, responding with non-violence and solidarity."</td><td>Julie Estdahl Stuestøl (1983–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>People of Ukraine</td><td> Ukraine</td><td>"[with Zelenskyy] for their efforts to preserve the peace of European democracies against Russian aggression."</td><td>Dag Øistein Endsjø (1968–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Citizen Collective of the 'Light Revolution'</td><td> South Korea</td><td>"through disciplined, large-scale, and nonviolent civic resistance, the movement played a decisive role in defending constitutional democracy against martial law, protecting fundamental human rights, and preventing the escalation of political crisis into widespread violence."</td><td>Euiyoung Kim Anselmo Lee Pablo Onate David Farrell Azul Aguiar</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Concordis International</td><td> Central African Republic</td><td>"of peacebuilding work in fragile conflict zones."</td><td>Quakers Britian and USA</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (founded in 1949)</td><td>Amman</td><td>"for through its continuous and life-sustaining work, UNRWA has made a significant and lasting contribution to peace, human security and stability."</td><td>Une Bastholm (1989–)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>World Trade Organisation (founded in 1995)</td><td>Geneva</td><td>"its role as a cornerstone of the rules-based multilateral trading system, which aids in preventing trade wars and economic coercion, thereby fostering international stability"</td><td>Peace Research Institute Oslo</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Yad Vashem (founded in 1953)</td><td>Jerusalem</td><td>"one of the worlds most significant institutions in the fight against antisemitism, hate ideologies, and historical distortion."</td><td>Joel Ystebø (2001–)</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>