Washington: The Nobel prize ceremonies have been reined in this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be no banquet honoring winners in Stockholm or Oslo as the global pandemic curtails the usual celebrations.
The achievements will be recognized and rewarded at low-key ceremonies where they live and work in Europe and the United States.
Twelve laureates were named in 2020. A Nobel prize comes with a 10-milion krona ($1.1 million) cash award — to be shared in some cases — diplomas and gold medals.
Traditionally, the lavish Nobel ceremonies are held on December 10, the anniversary of the death of prize founder Alfred Nobel, at an ornate city hall in Stockholm for all but the Peace Prize that is held in Oslo in neighboring Norway.
The first of the prizes was awarded Sunday to literature prize winner American poet Louise Glück during a ceremony in her garden.
“It was such an honor and a true pleasure to present the Nobel Prize in Literature to Louise Glück in her own garden, now peacefully resting for the winter and reminding us of her poems,” said Annika Rembe, Sweden’s envoy in New York, of the event. Glück was awarded the prestigious prize “for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal.”
