This year’s Nobel Peace Prize is highly anticipated, with speculation rife about who the recipient will be. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is set to reveal the winner on Friday at 11:00 am (0900 GMT).
The global landscape is troubling, with the number of armed conflicts involving at least one state reaching record levels in 2024, according to Sweden’s Uppsala University conflict database.
Despite US President Donald Trump’s vocal desire for the prestigious prize, experts doubt he will clinch it this year. Swedish professor Peter Wallensteen dismissed the possibility, suggesting that Trump’s chances might improve next year as the fallout from his actions, including the Gaza crisis, settles.
Critics argue that Trump’s self-proclaimed peacemaking efforts are exaggerated, citing concerns over his “America First” policies that seem to contradict the Nobel Peace Prize’s values of international cooperation, global unity, and disarmament.
Trump’s actions, such as withdrawing from international agreements, engaging in trade disputes, and undermining academic freedoms and freedom of expression, have raised eyebrows among Nobel Peace Prize observers.
The committee evaluating the peace prize considers a nominee’s overall impact on peace, taking into account their actions and policies. With 338 nominees this year, including individuals and organizations, the shortlist remains undisclosed.
Potential contenders this year include Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms, Yulia Navalnaya, and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election watchdog. Recent prize recipients have focused on human rights, democracy, press freedom, and women’s issues, signaling a shift towards traditional peace ideals.
Speculation also surrounds the possibility of the Nobel committee reinforcing global order by honoring figures like UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres or organizations such as the UNHCR. Alternatively, champions of international justice and press freedom could be recognized.
As the announcement draws near, the Nobel committee remains unpredictable, often opting for unexpected choices in awarding the prestigious prize.