Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been named the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.
Machado was recognized for what the committee described as her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.” Her long-standing resistance to authoritarian rule and her advocacy for peaceful democratic change stood out among this year’s nominees.
Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes hailed her as a “champion of peace” who has worked against the Venezuelan government’s “rigid hold on power.”
> “Democracy depends on people … who dare to step forward in spite of grave risk,” Frydnes stated during the announcement in Oslo.
The 2025 Peace Prize saw a crowded field of contenders, with 338 nominations submitted—244 individuals and 94 organizations—marking an increase of over 50 compared to the previous year. As tradition dictates, the names of nominees remain confidential for 50 years.
Machado’s win follows last year’s awarding of the Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese peace organization committed to nuclear disarmament. That group was honored for amplifying the voices of Hiroshima and Nagasaki survivors in the global movement against nuclear weapons.
So far this week, Nobel laureates have also been announced in medicine, physics, chemistry, and literature. The prestigious Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences will be revealed on Monday, wrapping up this year’s award cycle.
While most Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm, the Peace Prize is uniquely awarded in Oslo—a tradition reflecting Alfred Nobel’s original instructions.
Each Nobel laureate receives a monetary award of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.1 million USD), along with a medal and diploma. The formal award ceremony will take place on December 10, commemorating the anniversary of Nobel’s death in 1896.
