Nobel Prize Winners 2026: Complete List

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The Nobel Prizes are one of the most prestigious awards in the world, recognizing intellectual achievement and extraordinary contributions that have conferred the "greatest benefit to humankind." 

Established by the will of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel (the inventor of dynamite), the prizes were first awarded in 1901.

In the first week of October 2026, the world turns its attention to Stockholm and Oslo as the respective committees unveiled the latest set of laureates whose achievements have conferred the greatest benefit on humanity. 

From lifelong crusades for human rights and anti-apartheid justice to pioneering leaps in science and literature, this year's laureates represent the vanguard of global progress.

The laureates will receive their awards at ceremonies held annually on December 10th, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death (in Stockholm, except for the Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo).

Each of them receives a diploma, a gold medal, and a document confirming the prize amount.

For Kerala PSC aspirants, Nobel Prize announcements are high-yield topics for Current Affairs, Statement-based Questions, and Static GK.

List of Nobel Prize Winners 2026 

Following is a list of the Nobel prize winners in 2026 for the six categories, including Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace & Economic Sciences:

 

Field	Winner(s)	Contribution
Physiology or Medicine	Karl Deisseroth (USA)	for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics
	Peter Hegemann (Germany)
	Georg Nagel (Germany)
Physics	Francis Halzen (USA)	for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin
Chemistry	Henri B. Kagan (France)	for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis
	Kenso Soai (Japan)
Literature	Anne Carson (Canada)	for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature.
Peace	Navanethem Navi Pillay South Africa (Indian Tamil Origin)	For her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her struggle for a just and peaceful transition.
Economic Sciences	Robert E. Hall (USA)	for microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation
	Michael Woodford (USA)

Nobel Prize Static GK for Kerala PSC

Kerala PSC frequently tests candidates on historical and static facts regarding Nobel Prizes.

• First Awarded: 1901 (established by Alfred Nobel, the inventor of Dynamite).
• Award Ceremony Date: December 10th annually (anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death).
• Award Ceremony Venues:
• Stockholm, Sweden: Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, and Economics.
• Oslo, Norway: Nobel Peace Prize (Crucial PSC Question).

Indian Nobel Laureates (Must-Know Static List)

1. Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913) – First Indian & Asian laureate.
2. C.V. Raman (Physics, 1930) – Raman Effect.
3. Mother Teresa (Peace, 1979) – First Indian woman laureate.
4. Amartya Sen (Economic Sciences, 1998) – Welfare Economics.
5. Kailash Satyarthi (Peace, 2014) – Bachpan Bachao Andolan.

2025 Nobel Prize Winners

• Physics – John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret & John M. Martinis
• Chemistry – Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson & Omar M. Yaghi
• Physiology / Medicine – Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell & Shimon Sakaguchi
• Literature – László Krasznahorkai
• Peace – María Corina Machado
• Economic Sciences – Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion & Peter Howitt