U.S. Voting Rights Activist Stacey Abrams Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize is considered one of the world's greatest honors.

From individuals to organizations, this achievement recognizes the impact of hard work all across the globe.

Previous winners have included some of the all-time greats...

In recent years, we've seen some inspirational figures take center stage including the likes of former presidents, social justice activists, and international groups.

Back in 2002, we saw Jimmy Carter receive the award for this:

"Decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."

​And he wasn't the only former president to be awarded the honor.

In 2009, Barack Obama received his medal for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

Other icons involve Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani women's education activist who was shot in the head by the Taliban just 2 years prior.

Yousafzai was only seventeen at the time, making her the youngest ever recipient of the award. She was also joined by Indian activist Kailash Satyarthi, who also received praise for his "struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education."

And last year, the most recent winner of the Nobel Peace Prize was the World Food Programme:

The committee decided that this organization went above and beyond with their work to end hunger in the world, stating "its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict."

Now, how does someone get nominated?

The coveted prize is accessible to anyone that fits the specific criteria. But here's the catch...

The nomination can only be submitted by a certain group of people including but not limited to the following:

Members of national assemblies and national governments, people who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and, former advisers to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Even though the result won't be announced until October, there is still a long process of whittling down all the nominations.

According to the official website, the Norwegian committee gets approximately two-hundred submissions that they have to shortlist.

And then until August, advisors review the list to pick their stand-outs.

The Nobel Peace Laureates are then put to a vote, where the majority will decide who should receive the coveted award. Once the decision is reached, there are no appeals and the winner will be presented the medal by the end of the month in a ceremony.

​And this year, it seems as though there has been a wide range of nominations.

From former president Donald Trump and his son in law, Jared Kushner...

All the way to the Black Lives Matter movement and Greta Thunberg...

We've already heard a lot about who is in line to receive the award in 2021.

But there's one woman people just can't stop talking about...

And that is Stacey Abrams.

You might be familiar with Abrams for her work throughout the presidential elections last year.

The Georgian rep played a critical role in helping to register thousands of voters, primarily from Black and Hispanic backgrounds so they could have their say in the elections.

Lars Haltbrekken, a Socialist Party member of Norway's parliament, said this:

"Abrams' work follows in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s footsteps in the fight for equality before the law and for civil rights."

King was awarded the honor back in 1964 for his "non-violent campaign against racism."

The first Nobel Prize nomination for Martin Luther King Jr. arrived to the Norwegian Nobel Committee #OTD in 1963. The nomination came from a previous Peace Laureate, American Friends Service Committee. King was awarded the Peace Prize for his nonviolent campaign against racism. pic.twitter.com/0zzCisW3fn

— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) January 31, 2021

And it seems as though Abrams is following suit.

Of course, people were glad to see her work being recognized...

And the Georgian representative has continued to work hard for social equality even after the elections.

Thank you to the voters, activists, donors and allied orgs who helped realize this new Georgia and new America.

We’ve turned a moment into a movement thanks to your time, talent and resources. As we celebrate our victory let’s also resolve to continue the fight. #gapol pic.twitter.com/DmVeDqbFKj

— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) January 23, 2021

She continues to work with other reps to make sure that Black and other minority voices are being heard throughout the state.

Congratulations, Stacey Abrams!

The winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in October.

In the mean time, keep scrolling for more news...