The Nobel Peace Prize is inseparable from its official laureate and cannot be transferred or symbolically reassigned, the Nobel Committee has said following reports that former US President Donald Trump received a medal from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
The award body issued the clarification amid growing debate over Trump being honoured with a medal bearing the Nobel Peace Prize insignia. The committee stressed that only officially selected laureates can be recognised as Nobel Peace Prize winners and that no external individual or organisation has the authority to confer or replicate the award.
“The Nobel Peace Prize belongs exclusively to the laureate selected by the Nobel Committee. It cannot be transferred, shared, or symbolically awarded by others,” the committee said in a statement.
The clarification came after Machado presented Trump with a medal during a public event, praising his role in promoting peace initiatives during his presidency. The gesture sparked controversy and confusion on social media, with some supporters claiming it amounted to international recognition similar to a Nobel honour.
However, the Nobel Committee made it clear that any medals or symbolic gestures presented by political figures hold no official status under Nobel rules.
Political analysts say the incident highlights how the Nobel brand continues to carry global prestige, often being used for political messaging.
Trump has previously claimed he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in international diplomacy, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia.
