The Nobel Peace Prize, one of five prestigious awards established by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, has been awarded annually since March 1901 for outstanding contributions to international peace and fraternity. Recipients are chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee based on Nobel's will, which specified efforts towards reducing armies and promoting peace congresses. Nobel's motivation for this prize is believed to stem from his friendship with peace activist Bertha von Suttner and potentially a desire to atone for his inventions like dynamite, which were used destructively. While regarded as "the most prestigious prize in the world," it frequently faces controversy due to its political nature, exemplified by the criticized 2025 award to María Corina Machado for her pro-democracy work in Venezuela.