287 candidates nominated for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize

A total of 287 candidates—208 individuals and 79 organisations—have been nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee confirmed on Thursday, according to a report by Norwegian news outlet Dagbladet.

Nobel Director Kristian Berg Harpviken described the nominations as “high quality,” though he noted not all submissions align with the prize’s criteria. “It doesn’t mean 100 percent of the nominations are highly relevant,” he told Norwegian news agency NTB. “Many want this prize, and we see numerous campaigns.”

The committee does not disclose nominees’ names for 50 years, but some details have emerged. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people were reportedly nominated by a Norwegian professor, while multiple foreign leaders have put forward US President Donald Trump, who has openly expressed his desire for the award.

Harpviken, who took office just over a year ago, observed that the list of candidates shifts significantly each year. “There’s substantial renewal, which is positive,” he said. “It means we’re identifying new, relevant candidates addressing emerging global challenges.”

The committee has also strengthened its procedures to guard against external influence, a response to past controversies, including corruption allegations against former committee chair Thorbjørn Jagland. New protocols now require systematic reviews of potential conflicts of interest at the start of every meeting.

“We take these issues extremely seriously,” Harpviken said. “The discussions help build our collective experience in managing such risks.”