Why does King believe the Nobel Peace prize was awarded to him?

King believed the Nobel Peace prize was awarded to him for spreading the idea that non-violent methods are necessary to overcome oppression and violence. During his acceptance speech, he remarked that non-violence is a powerful tool since it is capable of transforming society to build a world full of peace, love and equality. Furthermore, he accepted the award on behalf of the Civil Rights Movement as a whole, instead of accepting it just for the role he played in that movement.