Who decides the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize?
Amid ongoing tensions between the US and Europe over the future of Greenland, US President Donald Trump has appeared to criticise the country of Norway for the fact that he wasn’t awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
In a widely reported letter to the Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, Mr Trump said: “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant.”
Some media outlets have questioned Mr Trump’s claim about the prize however, saying Norway does not decide who wins it.
(Other fact checkers have previously examined the President’s claim to have stopped eight wars, though we’ve not looked at it here.)
Mr Trump’s remarks come after the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded last year to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who last week gave her medal to Mr Trump.
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What role does Norway play in awarding the Nobel Peace Prize?
The Norwegian government does not decide who is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. But the extent to which the country of Norway has some responsibility for the prize is more debatable.
The decision of who to award the prize is made by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which operates independently. But the committee’s five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament (the Storting), in line with the will of Alfred Nobel.
The committee has always consisted entirely of Norwegians, and appointments are made based on recommendations from Norway’s various political parties. However, sitting members of the Norwegian parliament are not eligible to sit on the committee themselves, which the Nobel Peace Prize website says is intended to preserve the committee’s “independence”.
In a statement on Monday morning, Mr Støre said: “As regards the Nobel Peace Prize, I have clearly explained, including to President Trump... the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee and not the Norwegian government.”