The Nobel Committee clarifies that while a laureate can give away their medal, the honour of the prize remains inseparably linked to the original recipient.
OSLO: The Nobel Peace Prize remains inseparably linked to the original laureate, even if the physical medal is given away, the award committee stated on Friday.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee issued the clarification a day after the 2023 laureate gave her medal to former US President Donald Trump.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented her medal to Trump on Thursday, with the White House confirming he intends to keep it.
A White House photo showed Trump holding a gold-coloured frame displaying the medal alongside Machado.
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“The original laureate is recorded in history as the recipient of the prize,” the award body said in a statement.
It confirmed there are no restrictions on what a laureate may do with the medal, diploma, or prize money.
A laureate is free to keep, give away, sell, or donate these items, according to the committee’s statutes.
The medal and diploma are merely physical symbols confirming the award.
“The prize itself – the honour and recognition – remains inseparably linked to the person or organisation designated as the laureate,” the five-member committee stated.
It noted the committee does not comment on a laureate’s statements, decisions, or actions after the prize is announced.
Machado’s award also included a diploma and 11 million Swedish crowns (USD 1.19 million).
This is not the first instance of a Nobel laureate parting with their medal.
In 1943, literature laureate Knut Hamsun gave his medal to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.
In 2022, peace laureate Dmitry Muratov sold his medal for USD 100 million to aid Ukrainian refugee children.
In 2024, the widow of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan donated his 2001 peace prize medal and diploma to the UN office in Geneva. – Reuters
