The Holberg Committee Recommendation is Ready

The Holberg Committee convened on 30th January in Paris for a last round of deliberation before deciding on their recommendation this year’s Holberg Prize. Their recommendation, along with a citation of the candidate’s qualifications and merits, will be presented for the Board of the Holberg Prize, which makes the final decision at a board meeting on 3 February.

The 2026 Holberg Prize and Nils Klim Prize recipients will be announced on 17 March in the University Aula in Bergen. The event will be livestreamed.

The Holberg Committee

The Holberg Committee consists of five internationally renowned scholars in the academic fields covered by the Holberg Prize, who are responsible for the scholarly assessment of the nominations. Committee members are appointed for a period of three years and can be reappointed once.

Current members of the Holberg Committee are: Professors Ann Phoenix, University College London (Chair); Heike Krieger, Freie Universität Berlin; Ryan Nefdt, University of Cape Town; Sari Hanafi, American University of Beirut, and Birgit Meyer, Utrecht University.

A Record Number of Nominations

The Committee had a challenging task in assessing a total of 134 valid nominations that were recieved before the nomination deadline in june, 2025. This is a record number of nominations received since the Prize was established in 2003.

Call for Nominations

The Holberg Prize is awarded annually for outstanding contributions to research in the humanities, social sciences, law and theology. We are currently accepting nominations for the 2027 Holberg Prize. 

Scholars holding positions at universities and other research institutions, including academies, are entitled to nominate candidates.

Visit the nomination pages for more information about the nomination process and requirements.