Navanethem "Navi Pillay" won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
She was selected from a pool of 287 nominees.
She was awarded peace prize for promoting peace and international law.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has announced Navanethem Navi Pillay as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2026 on October 9. She has been awarded the peace prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee for 2026, announced the winner. Frydnes, in his speech, said Navi Pillay "significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law." He further added that Pillay led the way to "a more comprehensive global legal order.”
Frydnes mentioned that Pillay has held states and leaders accountable and has given hope to victims through her work. He says she has stressed the responsibility of individuals and states to comply with the rule of law. Ms. Pillay led a United Nations commission last year that investigated the war in Gaza and found that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians.
Navi will receive a cash prize worth 12 million Swedish kronor (around USD 1.2 million), a diploma and a medal.
This year, there were 287 candidates nominated for the peace prize. Out of these 208 were individuals and the remaining 79 were organizations, according to the Norwegian Nobel Institute. She was the first non-white woman judge of the High Court of South Africa.
The prize is given every year to a person or group working to bring nations together, reduce weapons, or promote peace, as set out in Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will. Over the years, the criteria have expanded to cover cause areas like protecting human rights and the environment.
Last year, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the prize for her fight for democracy against growing authoritarianism in her country. In January, Ms. Machado gave her medal to Donald Trump after U.S. troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. However, the Norwegian Nobel Institute pointed out that while you can hand over a medal, the award itself can’t actually be transferred.
