Nobel Prizes 2025: What they are, when to expect the winners, and how to follow them
Here's everything you need to know.
The 2025 Nobel Prizes are set to be announced next week, beginning with medicine on Monday and concluding with economics a week later. The awards, among the most prestigious in the world, recognize groundbreaking work in science, literature, and peace, and carry global attention far beyond academic circles.
What are the Nobel Prizes?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel, who specified in his will that the majority of his fortune should be allocated to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." First awarded in 1901, they now span six categories: medicine or physiology, physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and economic sciences. Winners receive 11 million Swedish crowns (around $1.2 million) along with international recognition.
When will the 2025 prizes be announced?
The announcements will run daily from October 6-13:
- Monday, Oct. 6 - Medicine or Physiology
- Tuesday, Oct. 7 - Physics
- Wednesday, Oct. 8 - Chemistry
- Thursday, Oct. 9 - Literature
- Friday, Oct. 10 - Peace
- Monday, Oct. 13 - Economic Sciences
Each announcement is made in the late morning local time in Stockholm (Oslo for the Peace Prize).
How to follow the announcements?
The Nobel Foundation streams the prize reveals live on its official website and YouTube channel. Major outlets, including Reuters and public broadcasters in Sweden and Norway, will also provide live updates and coverage.
When are the prizes handed out?
While the announcements come in October, the actual ceremonies take place on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. The Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, while the others are presented in Stockholm by the Swedish king. The evening concludes with the traditional Nobel banquet, attended by around 1,300 guests.
Why does it matter?
The Nobel is not just about the money. Winning instantly elevates the laureates into a small group of names that include Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Ernest Hemingway, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr. While not without controversy, the prizes remain a symbol of global recognition for contributions to science, culture, and peace. For now, all eyes are on Stockholm and Oslo, as the world prepares to meet the newest names joining more than a century of Nobel history.