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Brilliance is a must to win a Nobel Prize, but is that the only requirement? What else does it take to become a laureate?
Ruth Alexander tells the stories of those who have been overlooked – in some instances, astonishingly so. Why do some countries, and some academic institutions have a bountiful number of laureates and others none at all?
She hears from the winners, woken in the early hours of the morning to hear the life-changing news and the impact that phone call can have on lives and careers.

She examines the nomination process and considers the role that geo-politics, accusations of prejudice and funding have all played during Nobel’s history. The awards were established over 100 years ago by Swedish businessman Alfred Nobel in his will – are they still fit for purpose or does the prize itself need to be reformed for the modern world?

(Photo: Esther Duflo, laureate of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, receives a Nobel Prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden during the Nobel Prize awards ceremony 2019, Sweden. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Presenter: Ruth Alexander