Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight to restore democracy and protect human rights in her country. The Nobel Committee praised her courage in standing up to dictatorship and promoting peaceful reform in Venezuela.
The Nobel Peace Prize comes with 11 million Swedish kronor (SEK), along with a gold medal and a diploma.
The Nobel Prizes began in 1901, following the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite. He left most of his fortune—worth SEK 31 million, or about SEK 2.2 billion today—to honour people who make great contributions to humanity. The prizes are awarded in six fields: Peace, Literature, Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, and Economic Sciences.
The Peace Prize Medal was designed by Gustav Vigeland and Erik Lindberg in 1902. It is made of 18-carat gold, weighs 196 grams, and has a 6.6 cm diameter. One side shows Alfred Nobel’s portrait. The other side features three men embracing, symbolising global unity and peace.
This year, the Nobel Committee received 338 nominations—244 individuals and 94 organisations—highlighting global efforts to promote peace.
