It was a gray Stockholm that welcomed the Nobel laureates, their guests, royalty and politicians. But once inside the Concert Hall, it was considerably more colorful with dresses and flower arrangements.
The guests' entrance is usually of great interest, not least because it is the first time they show off their clothes. The dress code is the same as for the Nobel Banquet – men must wear a tailcoat while women should wear a long evening gown or ball gown. However, both men and women can choose to wear their respective national costumes as an alternative.
Music and medal
The ceremony, which followed a strict schedule, began when all the royalty and laureates had taken their seats. The opening speech was given by Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Chairwoman of the Nobel Foundation.
Science is a common language for humanity when it comes to exploring and expanding the boundaries of human knowledge, she said.
The guests were entertained by music by, among others, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Aaron Copland, Anna Clyne and Ture Rangström.
The laureates received medals and diplomas from the King. First up were the physics laureates John Clarke, Michel H Devoret and John M Martinis. They were then followed by the laureates in chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and economics.
High school students invited
In addition to the royal family, the Nobel Foundation and politicians, there were also around 1,300 guests at the Concert Hall. A novelty this year is that around a hundred high school students from different schools have been invited to the award ceremony.
Among them were a teacher and five students from Järfälla Gymnasium.
"It's very unusual and exciting. Nothing I expected," Eniola Aderounmu, who is in the social sciences program, told TT before the award ceremony.
After the award ceremony, it was time for the guests to head the 1.5 kilometers to the City Hall where they could enjoy champagne, this year's Nobel menu, more entertainment and dancing.
Nobel Prize in Physics
Awarded to John Clarke, Michel H Devoret and John M Martinis "for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunneling and energy quantization in an electrical circuit".
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Awarded to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar M Yaghi “for the development of metal-organic frameworks”.
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Awarded to Mary E Brunkow, Frederick J Ramsdell and Shimon Sakaguchi “for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance”.
Nobel Prize in Literature
Awarded to Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai "for his visionary and powerful writing that, amidst the horror of doom, maintains faith in the possibilities of art."
Nobel Peace Prize
Awarded to Maria Corina Machado “for her tireless work in promoting democratic rights for the Venezuelan people and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel
Awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt “for having explained innovation-driven economic growth” with one half to Joel Mokyr “for having identified the conditions for sustained growth through technological development” and the other half jointly to Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt “for the theory of sustained growth through creative destruction”.
