For a while now I have believed that W's successor, whoever that might be, would be able to "cash in" on significant "good cop/bad cop" sentiment in international politics, and doing so could be advantageous to the interests of the United States. However, I did not see this coming (and if the media analysis is to be believed, neither did the White House staff).
In regards to the timing of the nomination due date and inauguration date, the current administration was noted for having a head start on turnover and went on the record for making policy statements prior to the actual inauguration. Still though, this is all pretty early on...
Edit: In other words, (former President) George W. Bush really scared the crap out of a lot of people, and part of the reasoning behind this award is a reflection of that, for better or for worse.