They probably also got scared that he would die before he could ever get it. Same as with Penrose two years ago, if Zeilinger had gone without a Nobel, that would almost be a disgrace for the price.
Also Bell (of Bell's theorem) was apparently on the short list for the Nobel prize the year he died.
What a pity. Bell's theorem impressed me so much that I consider it one of the most ingenious (thought) experiment/proof ever, and it has a very huge significance in interpretation of quantum physics (to me it resonates Richard Feynman's saying "I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics")