Nobel Peace Prize 2026: From Mark Carney to The Pope here’s who could beat Trump this year

Key Points:

• The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize winner will be announced on 9 October by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, with a wide-open field of contenders amid lingering controversy from last year’s award to Venezuelan activist Maria Corina Machado.
• Last year’s prize sparked debate after Machado symbolically handed it to Donald Trump for his role in removing Venezuela’s president, raising concerns that political pressures may influence this year’s decision.
• Leading contenders include Pope Leo XIV for his calls for peace in Ukraine and against the Iran war, the Emergency Response Rooms network in Sudan for humanitarian aid amid conflict, and Ukrainian children’s rights activist leading efforts to rescue children affected by war.
• Other notable nominees are the Committee to Protect Journalists for defending press freedom, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny for her democracy activism, Doctors Without Borders for global medical aid, and Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate.
• Former Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is also a contender, known for advocating middle-power cooperation and standing firm against US trade pressures, though experts predict Donald Trump will be dissatisfied regardless of the winner.