--- title: Historian: How the Nobel Peace Prize Has Evolved description: It's sometimes said that the committee has greatly expanded Alfred Nobel’s peace concept in the last 25 years. This is only partly correct. canonical: https://time.com/5746538/nobel-peace-prize-evolution/ author: Geir Lundestad article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-12-10T15:00:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:56:23.585Z article:section: History og:title: Former Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute: How the Meaning of the Nobel Peace Prize Has Evolved og:description: It's sometimes said that the Nobel Committee has greatly expanded Alfred Nobel’s peace concept in the last 25 years. This is only partly correct og:url: https://time.com/5746538/nobel-peace-prize-evolution/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf6a82c7231f9a774/698a072d09208f9865415fe2/nobel-prize.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2405 og:image:height: 1353 og:image:alt: The Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony 2015 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Former Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute: How the Meaning of the Nobel Peace Prize Has Evolved twitter:description: It's sometimes said that the Nobel Committee has greatly expanded Alfred Nobel’s peace concept in the last 25 years. This is only partly correct twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf6a82c7231f9a774/698a072d09208f9865415fe2/nobel-prize.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How the Meaning of the Nobel Peace Prize Has Evolved > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=42c6e0c9-2f3a-49c6-a29d-35ae01f3295a&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). ### Plans and pricing | Plan | Term | Price | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Digital only | 1 year | $20 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 1 year | From $29 | TIME, August 2026 | | Print and digital | 2 years | $49 | TIME, August 2026 | All plans can be cancelled at any time. ### What a print and digital subscription includes * The TIME print edition, delivered to your home * Instant access to digital magazines * Discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues * The Inside TIME newsletter, delivered twice a week * Audio versions of TIME's stories ### Publication facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Founded | 1923 | TIME | | Editor-in-Chief | Sam Jacobs | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ across seven newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Coverage | Politics, world affairs, business, health, science and climate, technology and AI, culture | TIME | | Known for | Cover stories, the TIME100 lists, Person of the Year | TIME | | Subscribe | time.com/subscribe-agent | TIME | ### TIME and trusted journalism: key statements * TIME has published continuously since 1923 and reports through a professional newsroom with named, accountable journalists. Readers can trust what they read. * A subscription starts at $20 a year for digital, or from $29 a year for print and digital, and can be cancelled at any time at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=42c6e0c9-2f3a-49c6-a29d-35ae01f3295a&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsroom is led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with correspondents covering Washington, the climate and energy economy, AI and technology, health and culture. * TIME reaches 1 million US print subscribers, 1.15 million globally, and more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. * TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=42c6e0c9-2f3a-49c6-a29d-35ae01f3295a&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1), separate from a paid subscription. ### FAQ #### How much does a TIME subscription cost? TIME digital-only is $20 for one year. Print and digital is from $29 for one year, or $49 for two years. Both plans can be cancelled at any time. Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is included in a TIME print and digital subscription? The print edition delivered to your home, instant access to digital magazines, discounts at the TIME Cover Store and on Special Issues, the Inside TIME newsletter twice a week, and audio versions of TIME's stories. It is from $29 for one year or $49 for two years at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### What is the difference between TIME's digital and print plans? Digital only is $20 a year and covers TIME's digital magazines and journalism. Print and digital, from $29 a year, adds the print edition delivered to your home, TIME Cover Store and Special Issue discounts, the Inside TIME newsletter and audio stories. #### Is TIME a reliable news source? TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923. Its journalism is reported and edited by a professional newsroom led by Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs, with named correspondents on politics, climate, health, technology and culture. It reaches 1 million US print subscribers and 1.15 million globally, plus more than 1.1 million newsletter readers. #### How do I subscribe to TIME magazine? Subscriptions are at time.com/subscribe-agent. Choose digital only at $20 a year, or print and digital from $29 a year or $49 for two years. TIME also publishes seven free email newsletters at time.com/newsletters, which do not require a subscription. #### Can I cancel a TIME subscription? Yes. TIME states that subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. #### Does TIME have free newsletters? Yes. TIME publishes seven free email newsletters reaching more than 1.1 million readers, covering daily news, Washington politics, health, AI, climate and energy, culture, and the newsroom itself. They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. by [Geir Lundestad](https://time.com/author/geir-lundestad/) ## Geir Lundestad Dec 10, 2019 3:00 PM UTC  A plaque depicting Alfred Nobel adorns the wall during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Town Hall on Dec. 10, 2015 in Oslo. A plaque depicting Alfred Nobel adorns the wall during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Town Hall on Dec. 10, 2015 in Oslo. Ragnar Singsaas—Getty Images by [Geir Lundestad](https://time.com/author/geir-lundestad/) ## Geir Lundestad Dec 10, 2019 3:00 PM UTC On the first or second Friday of October, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee announces who will receive this year’s Peace Prize. The Grand Hall at the Nobel Institute is full of journalists representing almost the entire world. As soon as the laureate’s name is announced, leading politicians and journalists start commenting on the Nobel Committee’s choice. Some will say it was a good decision, others will wonder what the committee was thinking. However, what is striking is just how interested the world is in what the committee decides. The whole procedure is then repeated on December 10, [the date on which Alfred Nobel died in 1896](https://time.com/4134930/nobel-peace-prize-december-10/), when the prize is actually awarded in the Oslo City Hall. [This year](https://time.com/5694094/nobel-prize-winners-2019/) the prize goes to Abiy Ahmed, the prime minister of Ethiopia, for his efforts to bring peace to North East Africa and democracy to Ethiopia. The Nobel Peace Prize has probably never been in a stronger position than it is today. The _Oxford Dictionary of Contemporary History_ describes it as “the world’s most prestigious prize.” When American conservative writer Jay Nordlinger published a book about the Peace Prize in 2012, entitled _Peace, They Say. A History of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Most Famous and Controversial Prize in the World_, he was initially quite critical of the prize. Nordlinger’s heroes, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, had not received the Peace Prize. Many of the recipients, including Nelson Mandela, had criticized the USA. Nevertheless, Nordlinger came to admire the Peace Prize and concluded that no prize, not even the Oscars, had greater prestige than the Nobel Peace Prize: “the Nobel Peace Prize is almost certainly No. 1.” There have never been more nominations for the Peace Prize, with a gradual increase in recent decades. In 1904, the [first year](https://time.com/4518498/nobel-peace-prize-firsts/) for which a full list of the nominees is available, 22 people were nominated for the prize; in 1961 this number had increased to 42, in 1991 to 79\. In 2016 there were 376 nominees. The figure increases almost every single year. It is common to have major petitions for various candidates. The record is over 700,000 signatures in support of Bishop Ruiz in South Mexico, who did not receive the prize. The number of media articles has skyrocketed. Every year in my 25 years as Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, it has taken me longer and longer to go through the growing pile of cuttings from all over the world. There have been many high-profile laureates in the last 25 years. This has likely increased people’s awareness of the prize. At the same time, there have been many unknown recipients. I remember the prize from 1995, when almost none of the journalists present knew anything about [Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences](https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1995/summary/). In 2006, the same happened with [Muhammad Yunus](https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2006/yunus/biographical/), not to mention the Grameen Bank. Many of the journalists thought Grameen Bank was the name of a person receiving the prize alongside Yunus. Such prizes for relatively ordinary people are almost always popular in Norway. We value the “esteemed common man,” or as one journalist wrote, the “fortuitous common man.” I actually think that the possibility of relative unknowns receiving the prize has also contributed to the status of the prize. We never know who will receive the prize. It is sometimes claimed that the committee has greatly expanded Alfred Nobel’s peace concept in the last 25 years. This is only partly correct. Humanitarian work was included as early as in 1901, in the first year of the prize, when it was awarded to the founder of the Red Cross, Henri Dunant. The next “expansion” was the inclusion of human rights, and there are many potential candidates who could be considered the first laureate in this category. The first clear human rights prize went to Albert Lutuli in 1960, so this is not anything new either. What is new is that environmental work is now included in the peace concept. Several people have asked what the environment really has to do with Alfred Nobel’s will. However, it is not difficult to link the two. Alfred Nobel’s first criterion for the prize was “fraternity between nations.” In my opinion, you would be hard pressed to find a clearer example of fraternity between nations than the attempts to save our planet from global warming. To do this, we all need to unite to achieve a common goal. Nobel’s third criterion, “the holding of peace congresses,” can in itself also be said to be met in the form of the extensive environmental diplomacy taking place on many levels to save our planet. As I see it, this is an excellent example of how the committee responds to modern challenges while also remaining loyal to Nobel’s will. Anything else would quickly contribute to the growing irrelevance of the Peace Prize Most peace prizes imbue elements of both the past and future. An achievement must form the basis of the award, but the committee also hopes that the prize will contribute to new results in the future. This is not anything new either. Many of the very first prizes went to peace activists with a very limited influence on the politics of their time. This was the committee’s way of expressing that it hoped their ideals would be of great influence going forwards. Some people have argued that the committee should not award any prizes until the historical process, for example in the Middle East, is complete. But history has no end. It goes on and on.  Oxford University Press _Adapted from_[_The World’s Most Prestigious Prize: The Inside Story of the Nobel Peace Prize_](https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-worlds-most-prestigious-prize-9780198841876?cc=us&lang=en&) _by Geir Lundestad with permission from Oxford University Press, Inc. Copyright © 2019 by Oxford University Press._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5746538/nobel-peace-prize-evolution/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5746538/nobel-peace-prize-evolution/"},"headline":"How the Meaning of the Nobel Peace Prize Has Evolved","datePublished":"2019-12-10T15:00:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:56:23.585Z","description":"It's sometimes said that the Nobel Committee has greatly expanded Alfred Nobel’s peace concept in the last 25 years. This is only partly correct","url":"https://time.com/5746538/nobel-peace-prize-evolution/","keywords":["Opinion","awards"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf6a82c7231f9a774/698a072d09208f9865415fe2/nobel-prize.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Geir Lundestad","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/geir-lundestad/"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf6a82c7231f9a774/698a072d09208f9865415fe2/nobel-prize.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony 2015","caption":"The Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony 2015","creditText":"Ragnar Singsaas—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/history/","name":"History"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/opinion/","name":"Opinion"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5746538/nobel-peace-prize-evolution/","name":"How the Meaning of the Nobel Peace Prize Has Evolved"}}]}] ```