The 2024 Nobel Prize has been announced in all six disciplines, honouring remarkable contributions that have shaped modern science and society. A total of 11 individuals and one organisation have been awarded this year's Nobel prizes in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.
This year’s first prize, awarded in physiology or medicine, honoured American researchers Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for discovering and uncovering the critical role of microRNAs, small molecules that regulate gene expression, influencing health conditions like cancer and heart disease. The physics prize went to John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton, whose pioneering work with artificial neural networks has propelled advancements in machine learning, impacting fields from particle physics to everyday technologies like facial recognition.
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry honours David Baker for pioneering computational protein design and Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for breakthrough protein structure prediction, while the Nobel Prize in Literature for 2024 has been awarded to South Korean author Han Kang "for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life”.
On October 11, the Norwegian Nobel Committee for Peace announced the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 for Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese group representing the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing.
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for the year 2024 has been announced for Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson and James A. Robinson for their "studies of how institutions are formed and affect prosperity".
The prize money for each full prize is approximately $1.1 million, and the memorabilia includes a medal and diploma. Established through a fund set up with the fortune Alfred Nobel bequeathed in his last will, the Nobel prizes have been awarded since 1901.
Read on to see the list of Nobel Prize winners in all disciplines in 2024.
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2024 Nobel Prize Winners: Full List
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2024: Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun
Ambros and Ruvkun’s discovery of microRNAs revealed a novel mechanism of gene regulation, providing insights into cellular behaviors linked to diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders. Their breakthrough, first published in 1993, demonstrated how microRNAs bind to messenger RNA, controlling protein production crucial for cell function. Thomas Perlmann of the Nobel Committee called their work “fundamental for all physiology”.
Nobel Prize in Physics for 2024: John J. Hopfield and Geoffrey E. Hinton
Their integration of statistical physics into artificial neural networks has been instrumental in machine learning and artificial intelligence, allowing complex pattern recognition across vast datasets. At a Nobel press conference, Ellen Moons, chair of the Physics Committee, highlighted the broad applications of their work while cautioning about the ethical implications of AI’s rapid development, urging collective responsibility for its use.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2024: David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper
Baker's work has enabled the creation of new proteins with applications in medicine and nanotechnology, while Hassabis and Jumper's AlphaFold2 AI model solved a decades-long challenge, predicting the structures of over 200 million proteins. These advancements highlight proteins’ essential roles as life’s chemical engines, driving reactions and forming tissue, hormones, and antibodies. Together, these discoveries promise vast scientific and practical benefits, from combating antibiotic resistance to advancing environmental solutions.
Nobel Prize in Literature for 2024: Han Kang
In her body of work, Han Kang delves deeply into the weight of past tragedies and societal expectations, unearthing the inherent vulnerability of life. Anders Olsson, Chairman of the Nobel Committee, noted that her writing demonstrates a profound understanding of the ties between body and spirit, life and death, and that with a poetic, experimental style, she has emerged as a transformative voice in modern literature, redefining the boundaries of contemporary prose.
Nobel Peace Prize for 2024: Nihon Hidankyo
Nihon Hidankyo, or the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organisations, is a coalition of Hibakusha, survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and nuclear tests. Formed in 1956, it is Japan’s largest Hibakusha association. Through testimonies, public appeals, and advocacy at the UN, Hibakusha share their painful experiences to highlight the human cost of nuclear warfare and reinforce the “nuclear taboo” — a global moral stance against nuclear weapons. Their resilience sustains a powerful anti-nuclear message worldwide, as noted by the Nobel Committee.
The 2024 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel
Nobel laureates Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson reveal that societal institutions shape national prosperity. Their research shows colonial powers created varied institutions, leading to different economic outcomes: extractive systems exploited populations, while inclusive ones fostered growth. Inclusive institutions, they argue, are key to sustainable development, while extractive systems benefit only the powerful, impeding progress, the Nobel Prize Organisation said in a press release. When promises of reform lack credibility, democratisation may follow, especially under revolutionary threats. The laureates emphasise that narrowing global income gaps relies on building inclusive institutions, a point underscored by Jakob Svensson, Chair of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences.