Before the impression of two and a half years of pandemic, the war in Ukraine and other crises, the Nobel Prize announcements begin in Scandinavia. To kick things off, the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm will announce who will receive this year’s Nobel Prize in the category of physiology or medicine.
The awards in physics and chemistry follow on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by the equally renowned awards in literature and peace on Thursday and Friday. At the end, the prize for economics will be awarded next Monday.
Almost 920,000 euros in prize money
This year, all Nobel Prizes are again endowed with ten million Swedish kroner per category. Converted that is currently almost 920,000 euros. With the exception of the Nobel Peace Prize winner chosen in Oslo, all other laureates will be announced in Stockholm. Who was nominated for the awards is traditionally kept top secret by the various awarding institutions.
In the previous year, with a view to the fight against the corona pandemic, there was speculation that the Nobel Prize in Medicine could go to the developers of the mRNA vaccines. In the end, David Julius from the USA and Lebanese-born Ardem Patapoutian received it. They discovered cell receptors that humans use to sense temperature and touch. The medical award – like the other scientific prizes – is often awarded to two or three scientists who, for example, have conducted research together on a topic. They then share the prize money.
With the exception of the Nobel Prize in Economics, all awards go back to the will of the prize donor and inventor of dynamite Alfred Nobel (1833-1896). In it, Nobel had determined that the majority of his remaining capital should be invested and the interest from it should go as prizes to those who “have done humanity the greatest benefit in the past year”.
Back on site for the first time since the beginning of Corona
The Nobel Prizes are traditionally presented on the anniversary of Nobel’s death on December 10th – the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, all other awards in Stockholm. Those selected also receive their prestigious Nobel medals and diplomas.
After two years with corona restrictions and greatly reduced ceremonies, the Nobel Foundation is hoping that the personalities honored in Stockholm can be duly celebrated on site this time – together with their colleagues from the two previous years. “This year we are not only bringing this year’s award winners to Stockholm, but also the award winners from 2020 and 2021,” said the director of the Nobel Foundation, Vidar Helgesen, of the German Press Agency in Scandinavia. “It will be the largest gathering of Nobel laureates in a very long time.”
