The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to South African Jurist Navi Pillay
South African lawyer Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
South African lawyer Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which announced the prize, said that Pillay “has led the way toward a more inclusive global rule of law with extraordinary courage and integrity.”
According to Frydnes, this year’s laureate has played an important role in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are brought to justice.
Prize money increased
In September, the Nobel Foundation announced that the prize money for each category would be raised to 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately 1.07 million euros).
Hanna Stjärne, the Foundation’s Executive Director, noted that this year marks the 125th anniversary of the Nobel Prize, and that the Foundation was pleased to be able to increase the prize money by 1 million kronor on this occasion.
Stjärne said the purpose of the increase is to preserve the long-term significance of the Nobel Prize and to ensure that its monetary value is maintained over time.