Nobel Peace Prize to be announced today: Will Donald Trump get it?

The Nobel Peace Prize Committee will announce this year’s laureate today, amid growing speculation over whether Donald Trump could emerge as the surprise pick. Trump, who has been nominated multiple times since 2018, has long positioned himself as a frontrunner, frequently claiming credit for “stopping seven wars.”

 

This year, Trump’s nomination drew endorsements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Pakistan’s government, both highlighting his role in recent peace efforts. Netanyahu reportedly supported Trump for his part in brokering a Gaza peace deal, while Islamabad said he should get a Nobel in 2026 for his “diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership” during the recent India-Pakistan conflict. However, these nominations came after the February 1 deadline for the 2025 award. 

 

 

In a recent interview, Trump expressed doubts about his chances, alleging that the Committee would “find a reason not to give him the award.” As the world awaits the announcement, speculation continues about whether the Committee will break precedent with a controversial pick or stick to traditional humanitarian choices.

What’s the latest

According to the Nobel Committee, 338 candidates have been nominated for the 2025 Peace Prize, including 244 individuals and 94 organisations. Among the notable figures reportedly in contention are Trump’s sometime ally Elon Musk, Yulia Navalnaya — widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny — and former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

 

However, the Committee never confirms nominees, as all nominations are protected by a 50-year secrecy rule, preventing official disclosure to the media or to the nominees themselves. 

Why it matters

The Nobel Peace Prize is widely regarded as a moral endorsement of global leadership. A Trump win would be deeply polarising, celebrated by supporters as recognition for the Abraham Accords, yet condemned by critics who point to his foreign policy record and divisive rhetoric.

 

Such a win could bolster Trump’s claims of having “brokered multiple peace deals.” Over the last few months, however, his figures have been inconsistent, at times saying he stopped five wars, at other times three, and he has repeatedly confused Armenia with Albania while referring to his mediation efforts in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.

By the numbers

• 338: Nominations for 2025

• 244: Individual nominees

• 105: Peace Prizes awarded so far

• 142: Total laureates

• 19: Female laureates

• 17: Youngest laureate

• 86: Oldest laureate

US Presidents who won while in office

• Barack Obama (2009): Awarded for “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

• Woodrow Wilson (1919): Honoured for his role in founding the League of Nations.

• Theodore Roosevelt (1906): Recognised for mediating peace between Japan and Russia.

Obama’s precedent

Obama’s win in 2009 stirred intense debate, with critics arguing he had not achieved enough in office to merit the prize. The Committee clarified that it intended to “encourage his vision for nuclear disarmament” a justification that could support Trump’s case. 

 

Speaking at the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump dismissed Obama’s award, saying, “He got a prize for doing nothing. They gave it to him for getting elected, and he went on to destroy our country.”

Indians who won the Nobel Peace Prize

• Mother Teresa (1979): For her work in aiding suffering humanity.

• Kailash Satyarthi (2014): For his fight against child exploitation and for children’s right to education.

• Mahatma Gandhi: Nominated five times but never won — a decision the Norwegian Nobel Committee later called “the biggest omission in our 106-year history.” 

What’s next

The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced at 11 a.m. local time in Oslo (2:30 p.m. IST) on Friday. A Trump victory could redefine how peace and political influence are measured in an increasingly divided world — or reaffirm the Committee’s commitment to more traditional humanitarian ideals.