The 2026 Nobel Prize winners in six categories, including physics, chemistry, and economic sciences, were announced over a one-week period from October 5th to the 12th.

This year’s winners include Canadian writer Anne Carson, who will receive the Nobel Prize in Literature for her bold and inventive writing that blurs the line between poetry and prose, and South African-born Navi Pillay. Pillay is a former UN human rights chief who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and uphold international law.

Other Nobel laureates of 2026 include Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel in Physiology or Medicine for light-based control of brain cells; Francis Halzen in Physics for neutrino* research; Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai in Chemistry; and Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford in Economic Sciences.

The laureates in five of the six prize categories will receive their awards in Stockholm, Sweden, on December 10th. Meanwhile, on the same day, Navi Pillay will receive her Nobel Peace Prize at a separate ceremony held in Oslo, Norway.

The Nobel Prizes have been awarded since 1901, five years after the death of their founder, Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist and inventor best known for inventing dynamite. In his will, Nobel dedicated most of his fortune to funding the creation of the Nobel Prizes. His goal was to recognize individuals who have “conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.”

Along with a gold medal and a diploma, each prize category carries an award of 12 million Swedish kronor, which is divided among the laureates when a prize is shared. This is the equivalent of just over one million euros or 1.6 billion Korean won. They will also enjoy international accolades and the honor of having been chosen to receive such a prestigious award.

* neutrino 중성미자