Unprecedented Early Disclosure of Nobel Chemistry Laureates Due to Communication Error

In an uncommon lapse, the confidential and esteemed Nobel Prize in Chemistry found itself at odds with the digital age this past Wednesday. Swedish news outlets prematurely published the names of the award winners after receiving an email containing an official press release from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The Academy has subsequently launched an internal investigation into the matter.

Hours ahead of the official announcement that was set for Wednesday, multiple Swedish media organizations were privy to a press release from the Academy. It disclosed that Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, and Alexei Ekimov—scientists based in the United States—had been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work on quantum dots.

The Big Big News chose not to publish the names until official confirmation was received from the Academy. However, numerous Swedish media outlets went ahead and reported the news. Initial skepticism about the authenticity of the email was outweighed by the fact that the Academy neither confirmed nor denied its legitimacy, stating only that the final decision had yet to be made.

“We are as yet uncertain of the circumstances,” said Hans Ellengren, Secretary-General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in a statement to The Big Big News. “This is indeed regrettable, and we sincerely apologize for the occurrence. We are in the process of determining how this incident came about.”

The rigorous selection process for Nobel Prize laureates involves a five-member committee, which spends months carefully evaluating lists of nominees. The full Academy convenes on the day of the award ceremony to make the final decision, which is then announced in a scheduled press conference.

The premature dissemination of this information not only added fuel to existing speculation that the final selection is largely a procedural formality, but also highlighted the challenges inherent in maintaining confidentiality in an age where virtually all information is accessible online.

Göran Hansson, the former President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, remarked to news agency TT that while it is crucial for the laureates to be the first to know of their win, “the electronic age has introduced new avenues through which confidential information can be leaked.”

Before the advent of digital platforms, the Academy relied on traditional methods to keep the names confidential. Couriers would deliver sealed envelopes containing the names to news agencies like AP, and would be connected via phone to the Academy to coordinate the simultaneous release of the information.

Fredrick Malmberg, Head of News at Swedish television station TV4, emphasized the rarity of such an occurrence. “I have been employed at TV4 since 1995 and do not recall an incident of this nature ever taking place,” he stated.

It should be noted that this isn’t the first instance of pre-announcement leaks concerning Nobel Prize winners. Particularly, the Nobel Prize in Literature has seen its share of such leaks over the recent years. In 2010, for example, Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet had prematurely revealed the name of the laureate in Medicine.

The precise nomination and selection procedures for Nobel Prize laureates will remain confidential, Ellengren added. “The final decision is only made when the full Academy convenes on the very same day as the public announcement,” he explained.

Contributions to this report were made by AP Writer David Keyton in Stockholm.

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More about Nobel Prize Leak

• Nobel Prize Official Website
• Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
• History of Nobel Prize Leaks
• Digital Age and Confidentiality
• Swedish Media Outlets and Nobel Prize Leaks
• Quantum Dots and their Importance in Chemistry