Which organizations or individuals are most often nominated and why?
Executive summary
Publicly announced Nobel Peace Prize nominations are rare because the Norwegian Nobel Committee keeps nominations secret for 50 years; nonetheless a growing number of nominators do disclose their own submissions and the committee reported 338 candidates for 2025 — 244 individuals and 94 organisations [1] [2]. The nomination system permits thousands of eligible nominators each year (academics, MPs, past laureates etc.), which produces large, fluctuating candidate pools and recurring names — but there is no official public “most nominated” list until archives open after 50 years [3] [4].
1. How nominations work and why some names recur
The Nobel nomination process invites a wide set of qualified nominators — members of academies, university professors, parliamentarians, former laureates and others — to submit candidates before January 31; the committee records all valid submissions but keeps nominators’ and nominees’ identities confidential for 50 years, meaning today’s public lists are partial and often self‑reported rather than exhaustive [3] [4]. That openness to many nominators explains why certain high‑profile figures and institutions receive repeated nominations: they are visible, politically or culturally influential, and many different eligible nominators independently judge them worthy, producing multiple entries over time [3].
2. The 2025 snapshot: more nominees, more organisations
The Norwegian Nobel Institute registered 338 nominations for 2025 — 244 individuals and 94 organisations — an increase from 286 the prior year and far below the peak of 376 in 2016, illustrating year‑to‑year variation tied to world events and who chooses to publicise nominations [2] [4]. Because nominators are not vetted before submission and the committee does not control who is proposed, the raw numbers reflect both mainstream candidacies and a miscellany of symbolic or politically motivated nominations [4].
3. Why publicised nominations can mislead
Although nominations are officially secret, it is common for nominators or nominees to announce candidacies publicly; media reporting therefore can create the impression of a transparent shortlist even though the committee’s internal deliberations and full roster remain withheld for decades [1] [4]. This dynamic produces two competing narratives in coverage: one emphasises democratic, open consideration of many actors, while the other highlights political posturing by nominators seeking attention or influence — both of which are visible in recent reporting [1] [5].
4. Who typically attracts repeated nominations — patterns from the archive and reporting
Detailed, authoritative data on “most often nominated” individuals is only available once Nobel archives are opened 50 years after the award; extant historical notes mention figures like Bertrand Russell receiving many nominations historically, but contemporary lists rely on public announcements and journalistic aggregation rather than committee confirmation [3]. Reporters and scholars therefore infer patterns: long‑standing human rights defenders, peace negotiators, prominent statespeople and high‑profile NGOs tend to appear repeatedly in media‑reported nominations because their work aligns with Alfred Nobel’s criteria and because they remain visible to multiple eligible nominators [3] [4].
5. Political nominations and the contest for legitimacy
News coverage around 2025 shows political actors sometimes use nominations instrumentally: governments and leaders have publicly nominated political figures — a tactic that signals approval, seeks prestige, or aims to influence international opinion — and such nominations can be announced even after formal deadlines, producing controversy and confusion in the press [5] [6]. The committee, however, follows its own timeline and statutes; nominations received after the deadline or publicly touted by third parties do not alter the committee’s confidential selection process [4] [2].
6. What journalists and consumers of news should watch for
Readers should treat headline lists of “nominees” with caution: many media outlets compile public claims by nominators but cannot verify the full roster the committee records, and the official, complete nomination list will only be available in 50 years [4]. Contemporary reporting that cites the committee’s aggregate counts — like the 338 nominees in 2025 — is reliable for scale, but any claim naming who was “most often” nominated today cannot be confirmed from committee records and relies on incomplete public disclosures [2] [1].
Limitations and next steps: official archival confirmation of recurring nominations is not available until records are opened after 50 years; for now, analyses must rely on who nominators chose to announce publicly and on aggregate counts released by the Nobel Institute [4] [2].