2014 Nobel Peace Prize Contenders

Five of the most talked-about contenders.

ByABC News

October 9, 2014, 5:50 PM

Pakistani teenager and education activist Malala Yousafzai talks to Amy Robach on "Good Morning America," Aug. 18, 2014.
Ida Mae Astute/ABC

 -- Soon we'll know who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. But for now, it's a guessing game.

Here are some of the most talked-about contenders for the prize, which will be announced Friday:

The 2014 Nobel Prizes at a Glance

Malala's Mission Thriving 2 Years After Her Attack

1. Malala Yousafzai

Many people thought Malala Yousafzai would win last year, and she's in the running again.

The 17-year-old hero famously survived being shot in the head by the Taliban for encouraging girls to seek education, and she never let that stop her from advocating for women's rights.

"They cannot stop me," Yousafzai told ABC News last year, reflecting on the attack. "I will get my education, if it is in home, school, or anyplace."

If she wins the Nobel Peace Prize, she'll be the youngest ever laureate, according to the organization.

PHOTO: Pope Francis delivers his blessing as he arrives to hold his weekly general audience — Pope Francis delivers his blessing as he arrives to hold his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sept. 17, 2014.

2. The Pope

Pope Francis' name has also been tossed into the hat.

But it is too soon for the Argentine pontiff, who has only been leading the Catholic Church since March 2013, to win the Nobel Peace Prize? The organization was criticized when President Barack Obama won the prize in 2009, only a year into his presidency.

Still, bettors have their money on Pope Francis, and if he wins, he would be the first pope so honored.

In this handout photo provided by The Guardian, Edward Snowden speaks during an interview in Hong Kong.

3. Edward Snowden

Snowden might be a wild card, but some people think he has what it takes to win the prize.

Two Norwegian lawmakers nominated Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified information and is now exiled in Russia.

"For there to be any chance of peace, countries have to be able to trust each other," said one of the lawmakers, Snorre Valen, in support of Snowden.

PHOTO: Chelsea Manning poses wearing a wig and lipstick in this undated file photo provided by the U.S. Army, Pfc. — Chelsea Manning poses wearing a wig and lipstick in this undated file photo provided by the U.S. Army.

4. Chelsea Manning

Chelsea Manning, another whistle-blower on the list, might also take home the award.

Manning, formerly Bradley Manning, is the U.S. Army intelligence analyst who was convicted of leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the website WikiLeaks, including a video of an American attack that killed innocent people in Iraq.