Nobel Peace Prize concert under review, won’t happen in 2018

COPENHAGEN — The Norwegian organization that oversees the Nobel Peace Prize said Tuesday that a concert typically held after the annual award ceremony won’t take place in 2018 so the event can be evaluated.

Norwegian Nobel Institute Director Olav Njolstad said the musical tribute to the Nobel laureate was put on “temporary leave,” a decision that “emerges from a wish to re-think the concert format and content, but also reflects the challenging financial situation of the concert.”

The show, first held in 1994, has drawn big names from the entertainment industry. Lionel Richie, Bon Jovi, Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige are among the performers who have hosted the event.

“People’s media preferences have undergone radical change since the first concert in 1994. This is something the concert organizers and producers are keenly aware of as they move forward,” Njolstad said in a statement. “We have struggled to maintain an appropriate level of financing and want to use the year ahead to develop a new format.”