Committee says prize cannot be transferred despite Machado handing medal to Trump
January 17, 2026: After Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel medal to US President Donald Trump during a White House visit, the Norwegian Nobel Committee issued a clarification stressing that the honour itself cannot be shared, reassigned, or transferred. While laureates are free to dispose of the physical medal, diploma, or prize money, the committee said the title of Nobel laureate remains unchanged.
In a statement, the committee said the original recipient is permanently recorded in history as the laureate, regardless of what happens to the medal. The Nobel Peace Center echoed this, noting that several medals have been passed on or auctioned in the past, but the status of the laureate cannot be altered. Trump described the gesture as one of “mutual respect,” while Machado said he “deserves it,” calling the moment emotional.
The episode triggered strong reactions in Norway, with political leaders and public figures calling the gesture unprecedented and embarrassing. Critics argued that accepting the medal undermined the meaning of the award. Machado, however, remains the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, recognised for her campaign to defend democratic rights in Venezuela and her advocacy for a peaceful transition away from authoritarian rule.