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Due to recent developments in the coronavirus situation in Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Programme, have agreed to postpone his planned visit to Oslo in December to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the organisation. With the current restrictions in Oslo, it would not be possible to carry out the ceremony or other parts of the Laureate’s traditional programme in a good and worthy manner. We are now considering the possibility of holding a digital award ceremony where the WFP will be presented with the medal and diploma.

Depending on how the pandemic develops, Executive Director Beasley will hopefully be able to give the Nobel Lecture at the Oslo City Hall next year. Then it should also be possible to hold a Nobel Banquet in honour of the World Food Programme. As previously announced, this year’s banquet has been cancelled. 

Contingent on unforeseen circumstances due to the pandemic, this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Forum will be held as a fully or partially digital event. The theme of this year’s forum is “Transnationalism and Global Governance in the Wake of the Corona Pandemic”. UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Executive Director Beasley will attend the forum digitally.

Updated 18 November 2020

Nobel Peace Prize events 2020

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Frequently asked questions

  • Can you officially confirm if a nomination for this year's prize is for real or not?
    As a matter of principle, and according to the Nobel statutes, the Norwegian Nobel Institute can never confirm, or disconfirm, whether someone has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize until the full list of nominations is made public after 50 years.
  • How does the nomination process work?
    Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize are submitted from all corners of the world to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the entity responsible for selecting the recipient(s) of the prize. Anyone who meets either of the nominator criteria can put forward a name and motivate his or her opinion of why a given candidate should be considered worthy of the award. This is what differs the Nobel Peace Prize selection process from many other prizes where the awarding bodies are in charge of both the nomination process and selection of winners.
  • Who can nominate?
    Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize require no invitation. Eligible nominators are: - members of national assemblies and national governments (cabinet members/ministers) of sovereign states as well as current heads of states - members of The International Court of Justice in The Hague and The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague - members of Institut de Droit International - university professors, professors emeriti and associate professors of history, social sciences, law, philosophy, theology, and religion - university rectors and university directors (or their equivalents) - directors of peace research institutes and foreign policy institutes - persons who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - members of the main board of directors or its equivalent for organizations that have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - current and former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee - former advisers to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
  • When is the Nobel Peace prize announced every year?
    The Nobel Peace Prize is usually announced the Friday of the first full week in October.
  • When can I apply for a press accreditation for the Announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize?
    We open for accreditation applications the last week of September.
  • When can I apply for a press accreditation for the Nobel Peace Prize events in December?
    We open for accreditation application late October/early November.