Nobel Committee: Prize Cannot Be Transferred or Revoked, Trump Remains Unrecognized as Laureate

The Nobel Institute states the Nobel Peace Prize is fixed to the original laureate and cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked, even amid political statements. While the physical medal may move, the laureate's name and historic record remain unchanged, underscoring the prize's permanent status.

International

-Ashish Rana

Updated: Friday, January 16, 2026, 23:32 [IST]

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has restated that the Nobel Peace Prize is fixed to its recipient, after Donald Trump said Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado had handed over “her Nobel Peace Prize” during a White House meeting, suggesting the honour had effectively shifted to Trump.

Trump told supporters that Machado presented “her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done”, describing the moment as a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect” and later calling Machado “a wonderful woman who has been through so much” in a Truth Social post.

Nobel Peace Prize rules and Nobel Peace Prize laureate status

The Nobel Institute answered those claims by stressing that the award cannot be moved, split, or cancelled once granted. Officials described the prize and its holder as inseparable, echoing the headline phrase “Nobel Prize, Laureate Are Inseparable': Committee Says Prize Cannot Be Transferred, Revoked”.

In its formal clarification, the Nobel Institute said the chosen laureate remains the historical record, regardless of later events or statements. It underlined that changes in political climate, public opinion, or personal conduct do not alter the original decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Nobel Peace Prize ownership, Nobel Peace Prize objects, and rules

The Institute spelt out that the physical symbols of the Nobel Peace Prize can move, but legal ownership of the honour cannot. Laureates are free to keep, sell, donate, or gift the medal, diploma, or prize money, without affecting who is officially recognised.

The statement noted: “Regardless of what may happen to the medal, the diploma, or the prize money, it is and remains the original laureate who is recorded in history as the recipient of the prize,” emphasising that the public record will always list only the initially selected person.

Officials added that a Nobel Peace Prize cannot be shared with others after the announcement, transferred to another individual, or withdrawn at any period. They stressed the permanence of the committee’s decision, saying: “The decision is final and applies for all time,” leaving no scope for later revision.

The Committee also pointed out that it does not judge or explain any later remarks, political strategies, or decisions by Nobel Peace Prize laureates, limiting its role to assessing contributions at the moment of selection, which remains the sole basis for the award and its enduring status.