nobel

Nobel refers to the Nobel Prize, a family of international awards established by the will of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel. In his 1895 will, Nobel designated prizes to be awarded to individuals or organizations that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace. The will specified that the prizes should be administered by foundations and awarded annually.

The Nobel Foundation was established in 1900 to manage the assets and organize the prize process, and the first prizes were awarded in 1901. A prize for economics, the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel, was created later in 1968 by Sveriges Riksbank (the Swedish central bank) and is presented together with the other prizes, although it is not part of the original will.

Laureates are chosen by different juries and academies: the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences selects the physics, chemistry, and economics prizes; the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute selects physiology or medicine; the Swedish Academy selects literature; and a Norwegian committee selects the Peace Prize. The awards ceremonies are held annually on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death; the Peace Prize is presented in Oslo, while the other prizes are presented in Stockholm. Each laureate receives a diploma, a gold medal, and a monetary award.

The Nobel Prize remains one of the world's most prestigious recognitions, highlighting achievements across science, literature, and international diplomacy, though it has also faced debates and controversy over nominations, criteria, and geopolitical considerations.