The beginning of the 2019 Nobel Prize period

The candidates for the Nobel Prizes are nominated by thousands of members of academies, university professors, scientists, previous Nobel Laureates, members of parliamentary assemblies and others. While the speculation is running high about the Nobel Prizes, the Nobel Committees do not announce the names of nominees, neither to the media nor to the candidates themselves. Indeed, access to information about a given year’s candidates and/or nominators is not released until 50 years have passed, according to the secrecy rule.

After a long selection process, the four Nobel Prize awarding institutions finally make their choice. Beginning on 7 October, scientists, authors and promoters of peace will be announced, capturing the world’s attention.

The 2019 Nobel season kicks off on 7 October with the announcement of the winner of the prize in medicine, followed by the prizes for physics on Tuesday, for chemistry on Wednesday, and literature on Thursday. The Swedish Academy will announce the Nobel Prize in Literature for both 2018 and 2019.

The Nobel Peace prize will be announced on Friday 11 October.

The announcements will be as follows:

  • Physiology or Medicine – Monday 9 October, 11:30am at the earliest
  • Physics – Tuesday 8 October, 11:45am at the earliest
  • Chemistry – Wednesday 9 October, 11:45am at the earliest
  • Literature – Thursday 10 October, 1:00 pm at the earliest
  • Peace – Friday 11 October, 11:00am at the earliest
  • The Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences – Monday 14 October, 11:45am at the earliest

All the announcements will be broadcast live here.

In his testament, Alfred Nobel designated the institutions responsible for the prizes he wished to be established: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry, Karolinska Institutet for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and a Committee of five persons to be elected by the Norwegian Parliament (Storting) for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Riksbank established the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 1968 and the year after, in 1969, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences was given the task to select the Laureates in Economic Sciences.

The Nobel Laureates traditionally receive their awards at a banquet in Stockholm on 10 December, the date on which Alfred Nobel, the prize’s creator and the inventor of dynamite, died in 1896.

Mundus Weekly

Image provided by the Nobel Foundation