Nobel Peace Prize 2025: Not Donald Trump, but Venezuela's Maria Corina Machado bags the prize

Nobel Peace Prize 2025: Venezuela's Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025, on Friday, with the committee recognising her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela" and "her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

The announcement put an end to all speculations about US President Donald Trump receiving the coveted award. Trump, who was also nominated for the Nobel – had repeatedly asserted that he “deserves” a Nobel Peace Prize, citing his self-proclaimed role in ending multiple conflicts. The POTUS claimed that he stopped or deescalated “seven wars,” and more recently suggested the figure might go up to eight with a Gaza ceasefire.

Last year, the Japanese atomic bomb survivor movement Nihon Hidankyo received the award. For Nobel Peace Prize 2025, the committee reviewed 338 nominations in total — including 244 individuals and 94 organisations.

Who won Nobel Peace Prize?

From the 338 nominations, Maria Corina Machado, from Venezuela, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year. She led the struggle for democracy in Venezuela.

Who is Maria Corina Machado?

Machado, who has studied engineering and finance, had a short career in business. In 1992 she established the Atenea Foundation, which works to benefit street children in Caracas.

Nobel Peace Prize: How is the winner selected?

Unlike the other Nobel Prizes where the Norwegian Nobel Committee itself decides the nominees and the winners, the Nobel Peace Prize stands out – because anyone from anywhere can nominate an individual or an organization, so long as they meet the criteria to be considered a nominator.

For the Nobel Peace Prize, no invitation from the Committee is required for a nominator to nominate someone for the prize.

Earlier in the day, Donald Trump had said that he was unsure of getting the Nobel Peace Prize. "Well, I don't know," said the US President, asserting that he made eight deals and solved wars, and would also "probably" solve the Russia-Ukraine war.