The winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 10.

While the U.S. president has hinted multiple times at his entitlement to the Nobel Peace Prize, Nobel experts say he could only win if he changes his policies.

Here is an overview of the prize awarding mechanism:

Who decides the winner?

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, consisting of five members appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, is the judge. Members are often retired politicians, but not always. The current committee is chaired by the head of the Norwegian branch of PEN International, an organization advocating freedom of expression. The committee also includes a university professor among its members.

Norwegian political parties nominate all members, reflecting the balance of power in the Norwegian Parliament.

Who is eligible to win?

The short answer: anyone who meets the criteria set by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel in his 1895 will. The will states the prize must be awarded to the person “who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

Christian Berg Harpviken, secretary of the Nobel Committee, says the more complex answer is that the prize “must be seen in its current context.” Harpviken participates in preparing the committee’s work and deliberations but does not vote.

He told Reuters, “They look at the world and see what is happening, what the global trends are, what the main concerns are, and what the most promising processes we see are.” He added, “Processes here could mean anything from a specific peace process to a new type of international agreement under development or recently adopted.”

Who can nominate?

Thousands of people can propose names, including government members, parliamentarians, current heads of state, university professors in history, social sciences, law, philosophy, previous Nobel Peace Prize laureates, and others.

There are 338 nominees this year. The full list is kept sealed in a vault and only revealed after 50 years.

How does the committee decide?

Nominations close on January 31. Committee members can submit their own nominations by their first meeting in February. Members discuss all nominated names and then shortlist candidates. A team of permanent advisers and other experts studies and evaluates each candidate individually.

The committee meets roughly monthly to review nominations. Harpviken said decisions are usually made in August or September.

The committee seeks consensus in its choice. If consensus is not reached, the decision is made by majority vote.

The last time a member resigned in protest over the winner was in 1994 when Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shared the prize with Israelis Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.

Who are the candidates?

Although the full list remains confidential, nominators may disclose their choices themselves. There is no way to verify their claims.

Names revealed this year include the International Criminal Court, NATO, jailed Hong Kong activist Chow Hang-tung, and Canadian human rights lawyer Irwin Cotler.

Leaders of Cambodia, Israel, and Pakistan nominated U.S. President Donald Trump. They submitted their nominations in spring and summer 2025, after the January 31 deadline, so these nominations are invalid for the 2025 prize.

Could Trump win?

Nobel experts say President Trump could only win if he changes his policies. Experts say Trump is currently dismantling the international world order the committee seeks to support.

Experts expect the committee to choose a humanitarian organization, journalists, or a United Nations institution, though it is not impossible for the committee to surprise everyone with an unexpected choice.

Last year, the Japanese group Nihon Hidankyo, representing atomic bomb survivors, won the prize. The threat of nuclear weapons has long been a focus of the committee.

What does the winner receive?

A medal, a diploma, 11 million Swedish kronor (about 1.19 million USD), and immediate global attention.

When is the announcement and ceremony?

Committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes will announce the winner at 11:00 Central European Time (09:00 GMT) on Friday, October 10, at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.

The ceremony will be held at Oslo City Hall on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.