Jacinda Ardern is featured in Time magazine's list of "favourites to win the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize" for her actions following the Christchurch terror attack.
The Prime Minister is described as being a "symbol of empathy, defiance, and strength in the face of tragic events", writes Time magazine's Rachael Bunyan.
Ardern features in Time's top picks alongside teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, described as the "clear favourite", and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who instigated peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
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The frontrunners also include Brazilian indigenous chief Raoni Metuktire who has advocated for the Amazon Rainforest, international watchdog group Reporters Without Borders, and the UN High Commission for Refugees.
However, going by the nomination selection process on the Nobel Peace Prize website, it seems likely a nomination for Ardern wouldn't have made the deadline.
The website says in order to be considered for the award, nominations need to be sent before February - a month before Ardern made headlines in March for her leadership following the Christchurch mosque shootings.
Ardern, 38, is recognised by Time for her "swift" action to pass legislation banning most automatic and semi-automatic weapons, as well as components that modify existing weapons, after the March 15 shootings.
The Prime Minister is also lauded for being "vocal in her determination to deny the gunman a platform to elevate his white supremacist views", Bunyan writes.
She quoted the Prime Minister telling Parliament in March: "You will never hear me speak his name."
If Ardern wins the Nobel Peace Prize - among 301 nominations - she will be the first New Zealander to claim it. But in the typical Kiwi spirit, the Prime Minister said on Tuesday she doubts she'll walk away with it.
"I'm a New Zealander, of course, I'm going to say this," she told The AM Show. "That's a most unlikely situation."
Ardern said she considers the reasons she has been tipped for the prize "part of my role".
Nevertheless, a Change.org petition calling for Ardern to win the prize has more than 82,000 signatures, and another petition started by French website AVAAZ.org has more than 3000.
Past winners of the Nobel Peace Prize include Nelson Mandala, Mother Teresa and Barack Obama, and the winner is understood to receive under US$1 million (NZ$1.5 million) in prize money.
The winner is expected to be announced on Friday.
Newshub.
