Some 287 candidates will be considered for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, the secretary of Norway's Nobel Committee said on Thursday, with US President Donald Trump likely to be among the nominees.
Of this year's nominations, 208 are individuals and 79 are organizations, said Kristian Berg Harpviken, adding that compared to last year, there are many new nominees.
“Being new to the job, one of the things that has surprised me to some extent is how many renewals there are from year to year on the list,” Harpviken said in an interview. He has held the position since January 2025.
Despite the increasing number of conflicts around the world and pressure on international cooperation, the award remains relevant, he added.
“The Peace Prize is even more important in a period like the one we live in,” he said. “There is as much good work, if not more, than ever before.”
Trump likely nominated, but not confirmed
The leaders of Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan said they nominated Trump for this year's award. Their nominations, if made, would have been made in the spring and summer of 2025 and are therefore valid given the deadline was January 31.
There is no way to verify that they did what they said, since nominations remain secret for 50 years and Harpviken declined to say Thursday whether Trump had been nominated.
A nomination is not an endorsement by the awarding body.
In addition to committee members, thousands of people around the world can nominate names: members of governments and parliaments; current heads of state; university professors of history, social sciences, law and philosophy; and former Nobel Peace Prize winners, among others.
Many names appear on betting sites offering odds on this year's potential winners, from Russia's Yulia Navalnaya, wife of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, to Pope Leo and Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms, a volunteer aid group, among others.
Concern for the health of the imprisoned Iranian laureate
Harpviken said the committee was deeply concerned about the health of the 2023 Peace Prize winner, Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, who is deteriorating after she suffered a heart attack in prison.
His supporters said Wednesday that his life was in imminent danger.
“Her sister was able to visit her in prison yesterday and the reports that emerged afterwards are quite alarming about her state of health,” Harpviken said.
“We see that there is a lot of international pressure now. So we hope that the Iranian authorities will pay attention to that and release her so that she can receive proper medical treatment.”
Who else could be nominated?
Possible nominees for this year's award include Lisa Murkowski, a U.S. senator from Alaska, and Aaja Chemnitz, a member of the Danish parliament elected from Greenland, according to the Norwegian lawmaker who nominated them both.
“Together they have worked tirelessly for many years to build trust and ensure peaceful development of the Arctic region,” said legislator Lars Haltbrekken.
Greenland has been in particular focus this year because of Trump's relentless push to acquire the island from NATO ally Denmark.
This year's Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 9, while the ceremony will take place on December 10.
