Nobel Peace Prize 2026 - live: Judge Navi Pillay beats Trump to win

Nobel Peace Prize 2026 - live: Judge Navi Pillay beats Trump to win Judge Navi Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize - beating other favourites such as Pope Leo and Mark Carney The winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize has been revealed as South African judge Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay for her "efforts to promote peace and international law". The South African-born former United Nations human rights chief, who is 85 years old, is a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and currently judge of the International Criminal Court dealing with the case against Myanmar for "violating the Genocide Convention against the Rohingya ethnic group". Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said: "A common thread runs from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid to her service as a judge in some of the key international court cases of our time," the prize committee said. Mr Frydnes said he was unable to reach Mrs Pillay to tell her she had been awarded the prize, saying that if she was watching, and saw a call coming in from a Norwegian phone number, she should "please pick up." Mrs Pillay's win means US President Donald Trump has again been beaten to the prestigious award which he has said he wants to win on multiple occasions. Pope Leo and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had also been among the favourites to receive the gong. Key Events 'One of the most respected international jurists of our time' Mr Frydnes said: "Navi Pillay is a judge on the International Court of Justice in the case where Myanmar stands accused of genocide. "She has shown that legal measures can help prevent acts of war and violence. Navi Pillay has also contributed to strengthen the institutions of international law." The chairman described Ms Pillay as "one of the most respected international jurists of our time". Nobel Committee unable to reach Pillay Mr Frydnes said the Nobel Committee had been unable to reach Ms Pillay to tell her she had been awarded the Peace Prize. From the podium, the chairman told Ms Pillay that if she's watching the announcement and sees a call coming from a Norwegian phone number to "please pick up." Pillay has 'significantly enlarged' scope and impact of international law Awarding Navi Pillay the Nobel Peace Prize, Mr Frydness continued: "A common thread runs from her early work defending Nelson Mandela and others who stood up against apartheid, to her service as a judge in some of the key international court cases of our time. "This year's laureate has significantly enlarged the scope and impact of international law. "She has served as a judge on the High Court in South Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda and the International Criminal Court. "She was the United Nations high commissioner for human rights and, until recently, she chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory." Lawyer and legal pioneer The chairman of the Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, said: "Navi Pillay's commitment to universal legal principles and her firm moral compass are constants in a long career. "Born into a family of Indian Tamil origin under apertheid in Durban, South Africa, Pillay became a lawyer and legal pioneer, confronting deep structural discrimination, segregation and exclusion." Who is Navi Pillay? Navi Pillay is a South African national and was the first woman to start a law practice in her home province of Natal in 1967. She then acted as a defense attorney for anti-apartheid activists, exposing torture and helping establish key rights for prisoners on Robben Island. Nobel Peace Prize goes to Navi Pillay Navi Pillay has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 for "her efforts to protect peace and international law". Announcement imminent The announcement of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is now imminent. The peace prize has been awarded 106 times since 1901. Malala Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner in history, receiving it at 17. How many candidates are there? According to the Nobel Prize website, the Norwegian Nobel Institute has registered a total of 287 candidates for this year's peace prize, of which 208 are individuals and 79 are organisations. The identity of the nominees and other information about the nominations cannot be revealed until 50 years later, however. Last year's number of candidates was higher, with 244 individuals and 94 organisations nominated. In 2024, there were 286 nominees. The highest number of nominees was in 2016, with 376 candidates. Who won the Nobel Peace Prize 2025? Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize after months of Trump arguing he deserved the award for his alleged efforts to end several wars. Machado was awarded the prize for her "struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy". This came after the then-Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, was captured by US special forces in January. Many assumed Machado, who is in exile, would be a confident option to take power in Venezuela after opposing Maduro for years. Winner of Nobel Peace Prize to be revealed soon The winner of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced at 11am local time (10am BST) in Oslo, Norway. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the prize, which has so far been awarded to 112 individuals and 28 separate institutions since its inception in 1901. The Red Cross has won three times and the UN refugee agency twice. Women have made up just 20 of the 112 individual laureates, although eight women have won the prize over the past 15 years. Stay with us for the announcement shortly.