Nobel Prize

The Nobel Prizes are prizes instituted by the will of Alfred Nobel, awarded to people (and also to organizations in the case of the Nobel Peace Prize) who have done outstanding research, invented groundbreaking techniques or equipment, or made outstanding contributions to society. The Nobel Prizes, which are generally awarded annually in the categories listed below, are widely regarded as the supreme commendation in the world today.

The prizes and the ceremony

The prizes are awarded at formal ceremonies held annually in the Stockholm Concert Hall and the Oslo City Hall on December 10, the date that Alfred Nobel passed away. However, different committees and institutions that serve as selection boards for the prizes typically announce the names of the laureates in October. Each award can be given to a maximum of three people per year.

Related Topics:
Stockholm Concert Hall - Oslo City Hall

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Each prize constitutes a gold medal, a diploma, and a sum of money. The monetary award is quite large, currently about 10 million Swedish Kronor (slightly more than one million Euros or about 1.3 million US dollars). This was originally intended to allow laureates to continue working or researching without the pressures of raising money. In actual fact, many prize winners have retired before winning, and many Literature winners have been silenced by it, even if younger. If there are multiple winners in one category, the award money is split equally among the winners.

Related Topics:
Kronor - Euro - US dollars

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Since 1902, the King of Sweden has formally awarded all the prizes, except the Nobel Peace Prize, in Stockholm. King Oscar II initially did not approve of awarding grand national prizes to foreigners, but is said to have changed his mind after realising the publicity value of the prizes for the country.

Related Topics:
1902 - King of Sweden - Nobel Peace Prize - Stockholm - King Oscar II

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Nobel Peace Prize is given in Oslo, Norway, by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Starting in 1901, it was initially given by the President of Norwegian Parliament, until the Norwegian Nobel Committee was established in 1904. Its five members are appointed by the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget), and it is entrusted both with the preparatory work related to prize adjudication and with the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize. Its members are independent and do not answer to lawmakers. Members of the Norwegian government are not allowed to take any part in it.

Related Topics:
Oslo - Norway - Norwegian Nobel Committee - 1904 - Norwegian Parliament

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~