Announced in early October, the science and literature awards are often awarded with great fanfare in the two Scandinavian capitals. The ceremony takes place on December 10, the anniversary of the death of its founder, dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel (1833-1896). By 2020, Covid-19 had offered itself a special place by blocking the arrival of candidates to Stockholm and Oslo, the first in peacetime since 1924, and ceremonies were canceled in both capitals. This year, the award promises to be modest again.
For the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to him in Oslo, the option of a performance in the Norwegian capital “Remains open” and a decision should be taken in mid-October, the Nobel Foundation, responsible for organizing the famous awards, said on Thursday. “I think everyone would like the Covid-19 pandemic to be left behind, but we’re not there yet.” justified Vidar Helgesen, executive director of the foundation, pointing “the uncertainties about the evolution of the pandemic and international displacements”.
Stockholm City Hall’s iconic Grand Banquet will also not take place this year. Last year, it had already been cancelled, for the first time since a boycott of the Soviet ambassador after the 1956 repression in Budapest. Even with no winners, a reduced format ceremony will be held in the Swedish capital, possibly with a local audience, the foundation said. . The traditional press conferences of the winners will be broadcast online.
The Nobel Prize, which this year celebrates its 120th anniversary since its first award in 1901, will be announced between 4 and 11 October. As the rule dictates, medicine opens the ball on Monday, followed by physics the next day and chemistry on Wednesday. Highlights of the season, the Literature and Peace Awards will take place on Thursday and Friday respectively, ahead of the latest Economy Awards created to close the season.