President Donald Trump is being cast as the top early contender for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize by U.K.-based bookmaker William Hill, despite the fact that the Norwegian Nobel Committee has not publicly identified this year's nominees.
William Hill, which previously suggested Trump was "overlooked" for the honor in 2025, currently gives him 3/1 odds to win.
"Although the Norwegian Nobel Committee have not confirmed that Donald Trump is among the 287 candidates for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, we make Trump the leading contender to take this year's award," William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps said, according to Mediaite.
"Trump was overlooked by the committee last year in favor of Venezuelan politician Maria Corina Machado, but we now price the U.S. president at 3/1 to claim the 2026 prize – a 25% chance," he added. "That is a longer price than we quoted late last year, when we rated Trump's chances at 55%."
As is customary, the Nobel Peace Prize nomination process remains confidential, with hundreds of names submitted annually by eligible nominators including lawmakers, scholars, and past recipients.
In 2025, Venezuelan opposition leader Machado received the award. The Nobel Committee recognized her for "her tireless work promoting democratic rights" in Venezuela and "for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy."
Supporters of Trump had pushed for his consideration based on actions taken during his second term, including efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, though the nomination deadline had already passed before he took office.
Machado later dedicated her Nobel Prize to Trump and presented it to him at the White House.
Trump has frequently argued he is deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize and has cited his role in ending "seven wars" since returning to the presidency.
The Nobel Committee is expected to announce the 2026 Peace Prize recipient in October.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.