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The Nobel Prizes, Explained: All Six Categories

The Nobel Prizes are actually six separate, independently administered prizes with different histories, committees, and selection processes.

Alfred Nobel's will created the original five

Swedish chemist and inventor Alfred Nobel, best known for inventing dynamite, left the bulk of his fortune in his 1895 will to fund annual prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace, to be awarded to those who "conferred the greatest benefit to humankind" that year.

The Economics prize is technically not an original Nobel Prize

Formally called the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, it was established by Sweden's central bank in 1968, decades after Nobel's death, and funded separately from the original bequest β€” though it is awarded alongside the others and commonly just called "the Nobel Prize in Economics."

Different institutions pick different prizes

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences selects the Physics, Chemistry, and Economics laureates. The Swedish Academy selects Literature. The Karolinska Institute selects Physiology or Medicine. Uniquely, the Peace Prize is selected by a Norwegian committee rather than a Swedish one, per Nobel's own instructions.

Nominations are kept secret for 50 years

Only certain invited people, such as previous laureates, qualified professors, and members of relevant national assemblies, can nominate candidates, and the full list of nominees for a given year is not released publicly until 50 years later.

What a laureate actually receives

Each prize includes a gold medal, a diploma, and a monetary award (set annually and split evenly if a prize is shared among up to three people). A category can also go unawarded in a given year, though it is rare, and no more than three people can share a single prize.

Why the categories have not changed

Despite frequent public suggestions to add categories like mathematics or computer science, the six existing prizes have stayed fixed because each is governed by its own founding charter or statute, and Nobel's original will cannot be amended. Other prizes, like the Fields Medal for mathematics or the Turing Award for computing, exist partly to fill gaps the Nobel Prizes never covered.

The prizes are announced separately, not all at once

Each category is announced on a different day, typically over about a week in early October, by its respective selecting institution, with the Economics prize usually announced last. The formal award ceremonies then take place in Stockholm and Oslo (for Peace) on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the Peace Prize awarded in Norway instead of Sweden?

Nobel's will specified a Norwegian committee for the Peace Prize without leaving a clearly documented reason, though historians generally point to Norway's reputation at the time for peaceful diplomacy and its parliamentary ties to the Swedish crown. All the other prizes are Swedish-administered.

Can someone win a Nobel Prize after they have died?

As a rule, no β€” the prize is generally only awarded to living recipients, and a nomination process assumes the nominee is alive when selected. In rare cases where a laureate died shortly after being selected but before the formal announcement, the prize has still been awarded posthumously.