Nobel Peace Prize Honors Are Permanently Tied to Laureates, Committee Affirms

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has clarified the immutable nature of Nobel Peace Prize recognition: while laureates receive physical symbols of the award, the honor itself remains permanently and exclusively tied to the designated recipient. This principle, reaffirmed in January 2026, addresses fundamental questions about prize ownership and legacy.

Laureates receive three tangible elements: a 196-gram gold medal designed by Gustav Vigeland, a diploma, and monetary compensation. These items may be sold, donated, or displayed—as demonstrated by several historical cases—but such actions never alter the recipient's status. The medal features Alfred Nobel's portrait on one side and three interlocked figures symbolizing fraternity on the reverse, inscribed with "pro pace et fraternitate gentium" (for peace and the fraternity of nations).

Key principles govern the prize:

1. The laureate's recognition is historical fact, unaffected by subsequent transfer of physical items
2. Awards cannot be revoked, shared, or reassigned after announcement
3. The Committee refrains from commenting on laureates' post-prize activities
4. Disposition of medals/diplomas remains at recipients' discretion

Notable cases illustrate this framework:

• Kofi Annan's medal and diploma were donated to the United Nations Office in Geneva by his widow
• Dmitry Muratov auctioned his 2021 medal for $103.5 million, donating proceeds to UNICEF
• David Thouless' family gifted his physics medal to Trinity Hall, Cambridge
• James Watson's medal sold for $4.76 million was later returned by the buyer
• Knut Hamsun's 1920 literature medal was gifted to Nazi minister Joseph Goebbels and remains missing

The Committee emphasizes that while museums like Oslo's Nobel Peace Center may display medals (such as Christian Lous Lange's), these artifacts merely represent the honor. The original laureate retains recognition regardless of an item's location or ownership changes. This distinction preserves the prize's integrity while allowing recipients freedom regarding their physical awards.