Nobels

Nobels, commonly known as the Nobel Prizes, are a set of international awards presented annually to individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to humanity in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace, with an additional prize in economics added in 1968. They were established by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish inventor, engineer, and industrialist, who in his 1895 will bequeathed his fortune to fund prizes intended to honor those who have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The prizes began in 1901 and have since become among the most prestigious recognitions in their respective fields.

The awards in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, and literature are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, by respective Swedish institutions, while the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The Economics prize, officially the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, was established by Sveriges Riksbank (the Swedish central bank) and is also awarded in Stockholm. Laureates are selected through a confidential nomination and review process conducted by the designated prize-awarding bodies.

Recipients, or Nobel laureates, receive a diploma, a medal, and a cash award, sharing the prize if necessary. The award ceremony takes place on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death, during Nobel Week, with lectures and related events surrounding the presentations.

The Nobels have profoundly influenced science, culture, and international affairs, though they have also faced criticism over representation, politics, and the criteria used for selection.