The Nobel Prize is the world’s most prestigious award, recognizing groundbreaking achievements that have had the “greatest benefit to humankind.” Every year, it celebrates top minds in science, literature, and peace. Let’s dive into the history of this incredible honor, where the 2025 prizes were awarded, and why this tradition continues to inspire the world.
The Inspiring History of the Nobel Prize
The prizes come from the legacy of one man: Alfred Nobel.
Who Was Alfred Nobel?
Alfred Nobel (1833–1896) was a Swedish chemist, inventor, and engineer. He was a prolific inventor, holding 355 patents, with his most famous invention being dynamite in 1867. This invention made him incredibly wealthy, but it also raised moral questions about the destructive potential of his work.
A popular, though unverified, story says Nobel was inspired to change his will after a French newspaper mistakenly published his obituary, calling him “The Merchant of Death.” Whether true or not, the incident is said to have made him think about his legacy and how he would be remembered.
The Last Will and Testament
In his last will, signed in 1895, Nobel set aside the majority of his vast fortune to create a series of prizes. He stipulated that the funds should be invested, and the interest should be distributed annually to “those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, five years after Alfred Nobel’s death, establishing a tradition that has continued for over a century.
The Categories
Alfred Nobel established five original prize areas:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Physiology or Medicine
- Literature
- Peace
In 1968, a sixth prize, the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, was established by Sweden’s central bank.
Where Are the Nobel Prizes Provided?
The Nobel Prizes are unique because the awards are decided and presented in two different countries: Sweden and Norway.
Nobel Prize Awarding Locations (2025)
The Nobel Prize announcements take place in October, while the formal Award Ceremonies are held on December 10th, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The location of the ceremonies depends on the prize category.
| Category | Awarding Institution | Location of Award Ceremony |
| Physics | The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Chemistry | The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Physiology or Medicine | The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Literature | The Swedish Academy | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Economic Sciences | The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences | Stockholm, Sweden |
| Peace | The Norwegian Nobel Committee | Oslo, Norway |
Key Takeaway: All prizes, except for the Peace Prize, are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, typically at the Stockholm Concert Hall, by the King of Sweden. The Peace Prize is the only one awarded in Oslo, Norway, by the Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
Complete List of Nobel Prize Winners 2025
The Nobel Prize announcements for 2025 were made in October, recognizing individuals for their outstanding contributions across six categories that have brought the greatest benefit to humankind.
Here is the table summarizing all the 2025 Nobel Laureates and their respective fields:
| Nobel Prize Category | Winner(s) | Awarded For (Key Discovery/Contribution) |
| Physiology or Medicine | Mary E. Brunkow | For their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance, which explains how the immune system avoids attacking the body’s own tissues. |
| Fred Ramsdell | ||
| Shimon Sakaguchi | ||
| Physics | John Clarke | For the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit, laying the foundation for advanced quantum computing. |
| Michel H. Devoret | ||
| John M. Martinis | ||
| Chemistry | Susumu Kitagawa | For the development of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), a revolutionary material used in areas like gas storage and drug delivery. |
| Richard Robson | ||
| Omar M. Yaghi | ||
| Literature | László Krasznahorkai | For his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art. |
| Peace | María Corina Machado | For her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. |
| Economic Sciences (Sveriges Riksbank Prize) | Joel Mokyr | For having explained innovation-driven economic growth, with one half to Mokyr for identifying the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress, and the other half jointly to Aghion and Howitt for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction. |
| Philippe Aghion | ||
| Peter Howitt |
What Winners Receive
Each Nobel Laureate receives three components:
- A Nobel Prize Diploma, which is a unique work of art.
- A Nobel Prize Gold Medal, featuring the profile of Alfred Nobel.
- A Cash Award (which was 11 million Swedish Kronor per full prize in recent years).
The Nobel Prize isn’t just an award; it’s a global spotlight that can bring crucial attention and resources to vital research, world peace efforts, and literary excellence.
