Nobel Prize Winners of the Year (Peace, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature)
Current Affairs & Government Schemes › Awards, Honours and International Recognitions · Topic 22.2
The Nobel Prizes are international awards set up under the will of Alfred Nobel, signed in 1895 and first presented in 1901, in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and peace, with the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences added in 1969. The 2025 prizes went to Mary Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi for medicine, John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis for physics, Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi for chemistry, Laszlo Krasznahorkai for literature, Maria Corina Machado for peace, and Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt for economics. The 2026 laureates were announced in October 2026.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Current Affairs & Government Schemes · Awards, Honours and International Recognitions
At a Glance
- Set up Will of Alfred Nobel, 1895; first prizes 1901
- Peace awarded by Norwegian Nobel Committee, Oslo
- Economics Added in 1969 by Sveriges Riksbank
- Peace 2025 Maria Corina Machado
- Ceremony 10 December each year
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Awards, Honours and International Recognitions
Where Does It Fit?
This topic covers the best-known international recognition. Prelims often asks for the latest laureates, their fields and the link between the prize and current science and politics. Previous topic: Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards (Recent Recipients). Next topic: Ramon Magsaysay Award Recipients.
Who Won the Nobel Prizes in 2025?
| Field | 2025 laureates and work |
|---|---|
| Physiology or Medicine | Mary E Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi, for discoveries about peripheral immune tolerance, which stops the immune system from attacking the body |
| Physics | John Clarke, Michel H Devoret and John M Martinis, for the discovery of macroscopic quantum tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit |
| Chemistry | Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M Yaghi, for the development of metal-organic frameworks, porous materials used to capture gases and water |
| Literature | Laszlo Krasznahorkai of Hungary, for compelling and visionary work that affirms the power of art in the midst of apocalyptic terror |
| Peace | Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela, for her work to promote democratic rights and a peaceful transition from dictatorship |
| Economic Sciences | Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt, for explaining innovation-driven economic growth |
What Were the 2026 Nobel Announcements and Who Awards Each Prize?
- Medicine 2026: as reported, Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel were honoured for work on light-gated ion channels and optogenetics
- Chemistry 2026: as reported, Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai were honoured for work on asymmetric synthesis and the origin of one-handed molecules
- Physics 2026: as reported, Francis Halzen was named for the IceCube neutrino observatory and astrophysical neutrinos. Check the official site for the full list of sharing laureates
- Literature and Peace 2026: as reported, Anne Carson of Canada received the literature prize and Navi Pillay of South Africa the peace prize
- Economics 2026: Robert E Hall and Michael Woodford were announced on 12 October 2026 for the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation, as reported by the prize body and their universities
What Else Should You Remember?
- Who awards: the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards physics, chemistry and economics, the Karolinska Institute awards medicine, the Swedish Academy awards literature and the Norwegian Nobel Committee awards peace
- Place: peace is presented in Oslo and all others in Stockholm, on 10 December, the anniversary of Nobel’s death
- Economics prize: officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, funded by the Swedish central bank and first awarded in 1969
- Limits: a prize is shared by at most three persons, and the Peace Prize can go to organisations. The prizes are not given posthumously, except where the death occurs after the announcement
- Indian laureates: Rabindranath Tagore for literature in 1913, C V Raman for physics in 1930, Mother Teresa for peace in 1979, Amartya Sen for economics in 1998 and Kailash Satyarthi for peace in 2014 are among those linked to India. Har Gobind Khorana, S Chandrasekhar, Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and Abhijit Banerjee are of Indian origin but held other citizenship at the time
- India link in the news: for other international honours see Ramon Magsaysay Award Recipients
- Link to literature: for literary recognition see International Booker Prize and Other Literary Recognitions for Indian-Origin Authors
- Controversies: critics point to the low share of women and to the concentration of laureates in a few countries
- Verification: the official site of the Nobel Prize is the final source, and counts of laureates change every year
Why Does It Matter for the Exam?
- Latest winners: names and fields for 2025
- Institutions: which body awards which prize
- Indian links: who among the Indian laureates was a citizen
- Economics prize: its different origin from the original five prizes
- Common errors: treating the Economics prize as one of Nobel’s original prizes, or placing the Peace Prize ceremony in Stockholm
As an analytical point, the Nobel Prize reflects both scientific progress and global concerns. Recent awards for immune tolerance, materials and innovation economics show where research is heading.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Names 2025 and 2026 laureates
- Bodies Awarding institutions
- India Indian laureates
What Came Next?
The next topic covers an Asian award that India has often won. Next topic: Ramon Magsaysay Award Recipients.
Key People and Terms
- Laureate Prize winner
- MOF Metal-organic framework
- Peripheral tolerance Immune control outside the thymus
- Optogenetics Controlling cells with light
- Riksbank Prize Prize in economics
- Peace Prize Awarded in Oslo
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- First Nobel Prizes: 1901; economics added 1969.
- Peace 2025: Maria Corina Machado.
- Chemistry 2025: metal-organic frameworks.
- Medicine 2025: immune tolerance.
- Peace Prize presented in Oslo; others in Stockholm.
Do Not Confuse With
- Nobel Prize and Economics Prize Original five prizes versus a prize added in 1969
- Nobel Peace Prize and Gandhi Peace Prize International versus Indian government award
- Indian citizens and Indian-origin laureates Citizenship at the time of the award differs
Memory Hook
Medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and economics added later.
Mains Angle
Questions link the Nobel Prizes to science and international relations. These points help.
- Science Trends in research
- Peace Democracy and conflict
- India Research funding and global recognition
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“What do recent Nobel Prizes tell us about trends in global science and what lessons can India draw for its research system?”
How to Answer
- Winners Name key 2025 work.
- Trends Interdisciplinary and long-gestation work.
- India Funding and talent.
- Way Basic science support.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025?
Maria Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader, won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize from the Norwegian Nobel Committee for her work to promote democratic rights and a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in Venezuela. The prize is presented in Oslo on 10 December.
Who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2025?
John Clarke, Michel H Devoret and John M Martinis won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit. Their work shows quantum effects in a device large enough to hold in the hand and supports quantum computing.
Who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2025?
Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M Yaghi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing metal-organic frameworks. These are porous crystalline materials with large internal spaces that can capture carbon dioxide, harvest water from air and store gases, with uses in energy and environment.
Which Nobel Prizes were announced in 2026?
The 2026 prizes were announced in October 2026. As reported, they included medicine for optogenetics to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel, peace to Navi Pillay, literature to Anne Carson and economics to Robert E Hall and Michael Woodford. Check the official site for physics and chemistry details.
Which institutions award the Nobel Prizes?
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards physics, chemistry and the economics prize, the Karolinska Institute awards physiology or medicine, the Swedish Academy awards literature and the Norwegian Nobel Committee awards peace. The economics prize is funded by the Swedish central bank and was first awarded in 1969.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Nobel Peace Prize is presented in Stockholm.
It is presented in Oslo.
2 The Economics prize was first awarded in 1969.
It was added later by the Swedish central bank.
3 Metal-organic frameworks won the 2025 chemistry prize.
For Kitagawa, Robson and Yaghi.
4 The Karolinska Institute awards the Nobel Prize in Literature.
It awards medicine.
Related Topics
Browse the full Current Affairs & Government Schemes index