287 candidates to be considered for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, with Trump likely among nominees

OSLO: A total of 287 candidates will be considered for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, Norwegian Nobel Committee Secretary Kristian Berg Harpviken said on Thursday, with US President Donald Trump likely to be among those nominated.

Harpviken said 208 of the nominations are for individuals and 79 for organisations. He also noted that this year’s list includes many new names compared with last year.

In an interview, Harpviken said the degree of change in the nominations from one year to the next had surprised him.

Since I am new in the job, one of the things that has to some extent surprised me is how much renewal there is from year to year on the list.

He has served in the role since January 2025.

Harpviken said the prize remained significant despite a growing number of conflicts around the world and pressure on international cooperation.

The Peace Prize is even more important in a period like the one we're living in.

There is as much good work, if not more, than ever.

Trump likely among nominees

The leaders of Cambodia, Israel and Pakistan have said they nominated Trump for this year’s prize. If those nominations were submitted, they would have been made in the spring and summer of 2025 and would be valid under the January 31 deadline.

However, there is no public way to verify whether those nominations were actually filed because Nobel Peace Prize nominations are kept secret for 50 years. Harpviken declined to confirm on Thursday whether Trump had been nominated.

A nomination does not amount to an endorsement by the Nobel body.

Besides committee members, a wide range of people around the world are eligible to submit nominations. These include members of governments and parliaments, current heads of state, university professors of history, social sciences, law and philosophy, and former Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

Other possible nominees

Among names being discussed for this year’s prize are Yulia Navalnaya, widow of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Pope Leo, and Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms, a volunteer aid group. Their names are among those appearing on betting sites listing possible laureates.

Another possible nomination comes from Norwegian lawmaker Lars Haltbrekken, who said he had nominated US Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Aaja Chemnitz, a member of the Danish parliament elected from Greenland.

Together they have worked relentlessly to build trust and to secure a peaceful development of the Arctic region over many years.

Greenland has drawn particular attention this year because of Trump’s push to acquire the island from Denmark, a Nato ally.

Concern over Narges Mohammadi’s health

Harpviken also said the committee was deeply worried about the health of 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, the jailed Iranian human rights activist, after her condition worsened following a heart attack in prison.

According to her supporters, her life was in imminent danger as of Wednesday.

Her sister was able to visit her in prison yesterday and the reports coming out after that are actually quite alarming as to her health condition.

Harpviken said there was considerable international pressure and expressed hope that Iranian authorities would respond.

We see there is a lot of international pressure now. So we hope that the Iranian authorities do pay attention to that and release her so that she can have proper medical treatment.

The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced on October 9, while the award ceremony is scheduled for December 10.