Navanethem “Navi” Pillay awarded 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for peace and law work

South African jurist Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has been named the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate for her efforts to promote peace and international law, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said. The announcement came as part of the week‑long Nobel reveal that started with the medicine prizes. Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries that led to optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control selected nerve cells. Belgian‑American particle physicist Francis Halzen was awarded the Physics prize for his work on the IceCube neutrino observatory at the South Pole and for uncovering high‑energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin. In chemistry, Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai were honoured for unraveling mirror‑image molecules, a breakthrough that underpins many modern drugs. The Nobel Peace Prize will be formally announced on October 9, 2026, and the Economic Sciences award is set for October 12. All laureates will receive a cash prize of 12 million Swedish kronor, roughly $1.2 million, and the medals will be presented on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. ## Context The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded each year by the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals or groups who have made the greatest contribution to peace. Recipients also receive a monetary award and the ceremony takes place on Nobel Day, December 10.