PRIX EUROPA Video IRIS Award turns 30 this year — congratulations!

… and we are celebrating this year yet another anniversary at PRIX EUROPA:
30 years of PRIX EUROPA Video Iris. Congratulations!

IRIS invites programmes that tackle the diverse character of European societies and contribute towards understanding and tolerance between people of different origins, cultures and religions.

IRIS stands for equality and tolerance.
In ancient Greece, Iris was the messenger of the Gods who carried their messages to the four corners of the world. She appeared as a radiant rainbow The iris is also the part of our eye that enables us to see the richness of the colours surrounding us. IRIS stands for an open and clear view of the multicultural colourfulness in our modern society.

PRIX EUROPA IRIS
Under the Patronage of NTR - the Dutch Public Broadcaster
Best European Video Project of the Year about Identity, Diversity and Inclusion 

If you want to learn more about the PRIX EUROPA Video IRIS Award, you should please have a look here.

Vote for your Rising Star!

Vote for your Rising Star!

The competition in 5 categories, has begun. And from now on until 15 October, you too can become a jury member of PRIX EUROPA, too, by taking part in the voting for the Student Award – Rising Star:

Screen the 9 Audio and Video productions competing for the PRIX EUROPA 2026 Student Awards Rising Star :

* PRIX EUROPA 2026 Student Award - Rising Star Audio

abbruch – On Access to Reproductive Care in Saxony-Anhalt - A.-V. Hofacker - Germany
Myth by Plato - Jutte Van Nuffel- Belgium
Nothing is Over - Ida Frisk Carstensen - Denmark
The Boys - Veronika Hušková- Czech Republic

* PRIX EUROPA 2026 Student Award - Rising Star Video

Dad’s Expiry Date - Chiara Felicia Temmel - Switzerland
Kanaan - Dominik Mirecki  - Poland
Selma - Christina Schmidt - Germany
They were all named Anzhelika - Alexandra Kutsen Kutsen  - Poland
The land of others - Elise Houben - Belgium

All projects are now online for viewing / listening for 4 days from  Monday, 12 October until Thursday, 15 October 2026. 

You can take part in the PRIX EUROPA 2026 competition by choosing your favourite video AND audio
and sending an email to submissions@prixeuropa.eu. 
Please make sure you nominate a favourite in BOTH categories (audio and video). 
(Solitary votes will be ignored!) Only ONE VOTE is allowed per person, therefore please only vote once.

The projects which receive the most points in the online voting will receive the two Awards: 

* PRIX EUROPA 2026 Student Award - Rising Star Audio 
* PRIX EUROPA 2026 Student Award - Rising Star Video. 

Thank you for voting!

The Rising Star winners will be announced at the PRIX EUROPA 2026 Awards Ceremony on Friday, 16 October 2026 in Berlin (starting at 19:00 - live stream!).  

Welcome by the President of PRIX EUROPA 2026: Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė, DG LRT

Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė
PRIX EUROPA President
Director General of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television - LRT

The PRIX EUROPA 2026 Festival brings together Europe’s public service media community at a defining moment for Europe. A moment when our democratic foundations are coming under the most severe test from outside and from within.

There is clear evidence that strong, independent public service media are critical to the functioning of a healthy democracy.

The underlying principle of liberal democracy is that shared challenges should be addressed collectively and in a spirit of solidarity. That is why in critical times for democracy we need a shared public space, an agora, where diverse ideas can be voiced, heard and debated; a space of shared experience that does not divide societies into ‘us’ and ‘them’, but instead opens the way to empathy, dialogue and common purpose.

We need independent public service media to provide unhindered, universal access to trusted news that is not mediated by algorithmic choices, systems and AI.

We need public service journalism that holds power to account and gives citizens the context they need to make informed choices and not to give up on democratic values.

This is why we also must protect media freedom and independent public service media if democracies are to survive.   

PRIX EUROPA reminds us that this democratic mission is also profoundly creative. Every programme, investigation, documentary, digital project and story presented here contributes to a Europe that is better informed, connected and resilient.

Thank you for being here, for sharing your work, and for standing together for democracy and for public service media.

Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė
PRIX EUROPA President
Director General of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television - LRT

Welcome by the Host of PRIX EUROPA 2026: Ulrike Demmer, DG Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg - rbb

Ulrike Demmer
Director General Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg - rbb
PRIX EUROPA Host

Profound transformations, the digital revolution, and conflicting dynamics such as globalisation and renationalisation – for four decades, PRIX EUROPA has accompanied Europe’s contemporary developments as a cross-media festival.

With its competition showcasing the most relevant programmes in video, audio and digital formats, it serves both as a mirror and a magnifying glass for what defines public service broadcasting and its importance for European democracies.

But PRIX EUROPA is more than a festival. It is a strong European network, built around an alliance of currently 25 broadcasting organisations from across Europe, with Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) as its main partner and host.

We are delighted to welcome more than 500 media professionals from all over Europe to the Haus des Rundfunks once again as we celebrate the 40th year of PRIX EUROPA.

At a time when journalistic independence and the ability to shape public debate are more important than ever, this anniversary carries particular significance.
It allows us to celebrate 40 years of continuity and impact in championing high-quality public service media – while at the same time sending a strong signal of our commitment to the European idea.

Ulrike Demmer
Director General Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg - rbb

PRIX EUROPA 2026 Jury Group Coordinators

PRIX EUROPA 2026 Jury Group Coordinators

Meet the 12 PRIX EUROPA 2026 Coordinators here - or tonight at the Opening of PRIX EUROPA 2026:

Alison Hindell, Åsmund Hasli, Carmen Fernald, Chris Ledgard, Gunhild Nymoen, Kåre V. Poulsen, Kjetil Saugestad, Martin Bürkl, Niels-Ole Rasmussen, Pascal Seynhaeve, Pekka Ruohoranta, Sven Wälti.

The Coordinator’s job is to organise the work of the Jury Group, chair the daily presentations and discussions, supervise the voting procedure, and make sure that the competition rules are followed. They are supported by a Jury Assistant.

PRIX EUROPA 2026 Catalogue online!

The PRIX EUROPA 2026 Catalogue is online!

Here you can find all the details of the programmes selected for this year's competition.

In case you are interested in finding information about the competition entries of the last years please have a look at the PRIX EUROPA Catalogues available in digital format.

PRIX EUROPA 2026 Brunch

hosted by Rhian Roberts (BBC) &  Mattias Hermansson (Swedish Radio - SR)

PRIX EUROPA BRUNCH 2026
Friday, 16 October 2026
11:00 - 13:00, Room Saal 3 / Audio Documentary Room
discussions are hosted by Rhian Roberts, BBC, and Mattias Hermansson, Swedish Radio - SR.  

Start your last day at the festival in the company of colleagues from across Europe as we look at what it means to ‘serve democracy’ and provide our audiences with journalism they can trust. Enjoy coffee and snacks while gaining inspiration from colleagues across Europe.

PART 1: Creating content that matters and finding the audience for it
It’s tough out there.
Competition across all platforms is fierce, the marketplace is crowded like never before. AI and the deep pockets of competitors are influencing search and discovery on digital platforms to unprecedented levels. Accustomed to direct routes to the audience, public service media is finding itself outpaced in those third party spaces.
This year’s Prix Europa Brunch focuses on the defining challenge for public service broadcasters: creating relevant and authentic content and making sure it’s where the audience can discover its unique value.
A panel of Rhian Roberts - BBC Radio 4 & BBC Sounds, Joost Baumgardt - NPO Fun X, and Kajsa Norell - ARD Sounds shares experiences, insights and inspiring examples.

Antonio Baquero, European Journalist of the Year

PART 2: Meet Antonio Baquero - European Journalist of the Year 2026
Collaborative investigative journalism that crosses borders is probably more needed than ever before in a globalized world. Meet Antonio Baquero, key editor at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) - awarded with European Journalist of the Year by PRIX EUROPA. Hear Antonio Baquero interviewed on stage about his work with major international investigations. And get a unique opportunity to ask your questions - join the brunch, join the discussion!

European Journalist of the Year: Antonio Baquero

6 days to go until PRIX EUROPA 2026 starts but the Members of the PRIX EUROPA Steering Committee have already decided about the winner of this year’s first award:
The European Journalist of the Year 2026 award goes to Antonio Baquero from Spain.

He is awarded the prize in recognition of a distinguished career defined by courage, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to journalism in the public interest:

Through an outstanding record of investigative work, Antonio Baquero has illuminated the hidden structures of wealth, influence, and financial secrecy that transcend national borders. His reporting on high-level tax evasion and concealed oligarch wealth has helped bring complex and consequential issues into the public arena, contributing to wider European debates on transparency, accountability, and the rule of law. As a key editor at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), he has helped lead and coordinate major international investigations demonstrating the extraordinary reach and importance of collaborative investigative journalism.

The trophy will be handed over on Friday, 16 October 2026 at the PRIX EUROPA 2026 Awards Ceremony at Haus des Rundfunks / rbb.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Antonio Baquero

PRIX EUROPA 2026 NOMINATIONS: Student Award - Rising Star

NOMINATIONS

These are the nominated projects competing for the PRIX EUROPA Student Awards - Rising Star. It was a particularly difficult selection process this year, and we would like to congratulate all nominated entrants: CONGRATULATIONS - well done!

* PRIX EUROPA 2026 Student Award - Rising Star Audio

abbruch – On Access to Reproductive Care in Saxony-Anhalt - A.-V. Hofacker - Germany
Myth by Plato - Jutte Van Nuffel- Belgium
Nothing is Over - Ida Frisk Carstensen - Denmark
The Boys - Veronika Hušková- Czech Republic

* PRIX EUROPA 2026 Student Award - Rising Star Video

Dad’s Expiry Date - Chiara Felicia Temmel - Switzerland
Kanaan - Dominik Mirecki  - Poland
Selma - Christina Schmidt - Germany
They were all named Anzhelika - Alexandra Kutsen  - Poland
The land of others - Elise Houben - Belgium

The projects nominated for the competition will be available online for viewing / listening and voting from 12 to 15 October 2026 on www.prixeuropa.eu.
We will invite the PRIX EUROPA community to take part in the PRIX EUROPA 2026 competition by choosing their favourite video AND audio and sending an email to submissions@prixeuropa.eu.

The audio and video project which receives the most points in the 4 days of the online voting will receive the
* PRIX EUROPA Student Award - Rising Star Audio
* PRIX EUROPA Student Award - Rising Star Video

The announcement of the winners will take place at the PRIX EUROPA 2026 Awards Ceremony on Friday, 16 October 2026. The Awards Ceremony will be streamed live at www.prixeuropa.eu.

PRIX EUROPA 2026 Timetable

PRIX EUROPA 2026 Timetable

PRIX EUROPA 2026 Timetable with running times per category and per day is now available.

PRIX EUROPA 2026 Nominations

206 media organisations across Europe have responded to our call, submitting a total of 600 audio, digital media, and video productions to the 40th edition of PRIX EUROPA.
After a thorough pre-selection process, 154 outstanding productions from 29 countries have been selected to compete in October for the coveted PRIX EUROPA Awards, recognising the Best European Productions of the year 2026.

We warmly congratulate all our colleagues involved in the nominated productions and look forward to welcoming them to PRIX EUROPA 2026 in Berlin!

To mark the 40th edition of the PRIX EUROPA, this year’s winners will be celebrated on Friday, 16 October 2026 in the historic Haus des Rundfunks at Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb). Located directly opposite the Berlin Radio Tower, the venue stands at the heart of a century-long tradition of public service broadcasting. This year, the iconic tower is itself celebrating its 100th anniversary, making the occasion all the more fitting.

Please find the full list of nominated programmes here:

The PRIX EUROPA Competition Office will contact the submitters of all nominated productions individually with further information.

Call for Submissions: Student Award - Rising Star

View fullsize

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The competition for the PRIX EUROPA Rising Star Awards is open to students from European film- and media schools, universities and training institutions. It is looking for short audio and video projects that show vision, distinct thought and also public responsibility.

Submit your productions by 14 September 2026 to submissions@prixeuropa.eu.

Please send the following:

a)     application letter including the following information:

Your name and contact details.
Name of your school/university, etc.
Names of writer, director, cinematographer, producer and other key staff.
Production dates and
Project description / synopsis.

b)     For each audio and video submission we need an English subtitled video (.mov or .mp4) - this also applies to all audio submissions without exception!

All files should be made available to us via a link that can be used for downloading.
Please do not send viewing links!

By submitting, you agree to make your project available for viewing online at www.prixeuropa.eu if it is nominated.
Please make sure that you have cleared all rights.

Pre-selection results will be published online on 1 October 2026:
Entries nominated for the competition will be available online for viewing and voting from
12 to 15 October 2026 on www.prixeuropa.eu.

The audio and the video project which receives the most points in the 4 days of the public online voting
will be awarded the

* PRIX EUROPA 2026 Student Award - Rising Star Audio
* PRIX EUROPA 2026 Student Award - Rising Star Video

The announcement of the winners will take place at the
PRIX EUROPA 2026 Awards Ceremony on 16 October 2026.
The Awards Ceremony will be streamed live at www.prixeuropa.eu.

Personal Registration is open!

View fullsize

Be part of PRIX EUROPA 2026:
come to Berlin from 11 to 16 October 2026
join hundreds of media professionals!

Competition for the Best European Audio, Digital Media and Video Productions of the Year 2026 awarding 14 PRIX EUROPA trophies.

A unique and transparent system of open Jury Groups is at the core of PRIX EUROPA: Each Jury Group reviews all the entries of the respective category together, discusses them in public and then assesses them using a points system. All media professionals are invited to register as Jury Group Members.

If your agenda does not allow for a stay from beginning to end, register as Observer which will enable you to attend presentations and discussions you are interested in – just without voting rights. Personal Registration to PRIX EUROPA is free of charge.

On Sunday, 11 October 2026 at 16:00, the doors of Haus des Rundfunks, rbb, Masurenallee 8-14, 14057 Berlin, will open for accreditation,followed by an initial Get-Together in the evening for all PRIX EUROPA participants.

Presentations in the competition categories will run as follows:

Audio
Audio Documentary: Monday to Thursday, 12 to 15 October 2026
Audio Investigation: Monday & Tuesday, 12 & 13 October 2026
Audio Fiction: Monday to Thursday, 12 to 15 October 2026
Audio Music: Wednesday & Thursday, 14 & 15 October 2026

Digital Media
Digital Media Projects: Wednesday & Thursday, 14 & 15 October 2026

Video
Video Documentary: Monday to Thursday, 12 to 15 October 2026
Video Investigation: Wednesday & Thursday, 14 & 15 October 2026
Video Fiction: Monday to Thursday, 12 to 15 October 2026
IRIS: Wednesday & Thursday, 14 & 15 October 2026

On Friday, 16 October 2026 morning, all participants are welcome to attend the PRIX EUROPA Brunch offering various workshops. In the evening the PRIX EUROPA Awards Ceremony is scheduled.

Who will be European Journalist of the Year 2026?

View fullsize

Who will be European Journalist of the Year 2026?

PRIX EUROPA seeks to honour a European journalist who has demonstrated exceptional creativity, courage and impact. We are in search of a journalistic innovator committed to truth amidst global information and disinformation, aligning with our PRIX EUROPA 2026 motto: public service media - defending democracy together!

The ideal candidate is immune to political propaganda and populism, dedicated to transparency and capable of uncovering and reporting the truth. Proposals from all journalism genres and formats are welcome.

Honour journalism with impact! Propose your candidate for the European Journalist of the Year 2026 by emailing their name, contact details and a brief motivation to press@prixeuropa.eu
by 1 September 2026.

(email to press@prixeuropa.eu)

Scholarships awarded for the Åke Blomström Masterclass @ PRIX EUROPA 2026

This year’s ÅBA scholarship holders!

In the 40th year of the Åke Blomström Award, almost 40 entries from 14 countries were received. The international ÅBA-jury listened to and carefully reviewed all of them.

Congratulations to the candidates who have been awarded a scholarship to attend the
Åke Blomström Masterclass @ PRIX EUROPA 2026 in Berlin on 10 + 11 October 2026:

Aoife O'Neill, Ireland 
Elisa Longo, Italy 
Indrė Krivickaitė, Lithuania 
Jamie Reinert, Luxembourg 
Leo Rehnfeldt, Sweden 
Mees Warmerdam, Netherlands 
Michał Matus, Poland 
Ronja Morgenthaler, Germany 
Victorie Kralko, Czech Republic 
+ Alicja Głów, Poland (she could not attend in 2025)

Meet this year’s Masters who will be supporting our scholarship holders here in Berlin

________________________________________________________________________

CALL
10 scholarships to the Åke Blomström Masterclass @ PRIX EUROPA 2026

Apply now and send your application by 13 July.

Grant available for a two-day training event for Europe’s audio talent by Europe’s best audio documentary makers. Apply now for a scholarship to the Åke Blomström Masterclass delivered at the start of this year’s PRIX EUROPA (10 & 11 October 2026) in Berlin.

During the two-day Masterclass you will have the unique opportunity to learn from European award winning documentary makers, to glean their secrets and get their advice. If you have gathered your first steps in documentary audio, this is your chance to pitch your ideas and projects and become part of a network of future feature makers all around Europe. All participants will receive an Åke Blomström Masterclass Certificate.

To be eligible for one of ten scholarships, submit

• a max. 5-minute edited audio production demonstrating the creative use of audio (with English translation as pdf or subtitle video)

• a CV,

• a covering letter outlining why you wish to attend the Åke Blomström Masterclass

• a sketch (max. 1 page) of a documentary project in audio that you might like to pitch there.

The scholarship includes a travel allowance of 500 euros. Please send your application by 13 July 2026 to audio@prixeuropa.eu.

On 17 August we will publish the winners here and at PRIX EUROPA website and you’ll find out if your application was successful.

Good luck!

Agnieszka Czyżewska-Jacquemet (Project Coordinator)
Wolfgang Schiller (Chair Åke Blomström Award)

Submit your programmes to the 40th edition of PRIX EUROPA now!

This is the last call: 
only 6 days left to submit your best audio, digital media and video projects of the year to PRIX EUROPA 2026! 
Be there in October among Europe's BEST. 

Deadline to submit to PRIX EUROPA 2026 is 1 July 2026.

Congratulations to Sir David Attenborough

Congratulations to the PRIX EUROPA Lifetime Achievement winner Sir David Attenborough on the occasion of his 100th birthday.

The BBC Legend and icon of natural history films was honoured on 26 October 2013 at the
PRIX EUROPA Awards Ceremony in the Berlin Town Hall.

Submit your BEST to PRIX EUROPA 2026!

© Lina Lapinskienė / Lithuanian National Radio and Television - LRT

Attention European public media professionals!
PRIX EUROPA 2026 wants your BEST and most innovative productions.

Under the motto
public service media - defending democracy together
the competition features 9 categories and awards 14 prestigious PRIX EUROPA trophies for the BEST European Audio, Digital Media and Video Productions as well as the honorary award European Journalist of the Year 2026.
We want your incredible stories, whether they were streamed or broadcast or both,
are radio or podcast,
linear or non-linear television,
cross-platform projects,
apps or any other creative digital media project.

Check out the PRIX EUROPA 2026 Competition Regulations and get ready to shine!

Deadline for submitting is 1 July 2026.
Nominees will be revealed on 25 August 2026 @ www.prixeuropa.eu

Join us in Berlin from 11 - 16 October to celebrate excellence in European public media at
PRIX EUROPA 2026!

public service media – defending democracy together

Get ready to submit your BEST for this year’s competition:
In the first few days of May 2026 , the PRIX EUROPA 2026 Competition Regulations will be available online and the submission system will open! Deadline for submitting to PRIX EUROPA 2026 will be 1 July 2026.

The PRIX EUROPA Steering Committee met in March in Vilnius for their semi-annual meeting. It was hosted by Lithuanian Radio and Televison (LRT) and its Director General Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budriene, President of PRIX EUROPA.

Among other topics, the slogan for the 40th anniversary edition of the festival has been decided: 
public service media – defending democracy together

The crucial role public broadcasters play in these globally diverse times is of utmost importance: to offer a comprehensive, balanced and high-quality programme that is independent of commercial interests or government influence. The PRIX EUROPA Alliance, comprising 24 broadcasting stations across Europe, upholds these values and defends them together with its members.

Don't miss this 40th edition milestone!
From 11-16 October PRIX EUROPA 2026 invites public service programme makers to Berlin to select and honour the best European audio, digital media and video programmes of the Year. 

Bulgarian National Radio - BNR has joined the PRIX EUROPA Alliance

The PRIX EUROPA Steering Committee is happy to announce that another European broadcaster has joined: Bulgarian National Radio - BNR is a new member of the ever-growing PRIX EUROPA Alliance and will be represented in the Steering Committee by Milen Mitev, Director General of BNR.
Welcome!

Monika Garbačiauskaitė-Budrienė has been elected as President of the PRIX EUROPA Steering Committee, She takes over the role of Jean-Paul Philippot, Director General of rtbf, who will support PRIX EUROPA in future as Vice-President, next to the Vice-President
Frank-Dieter Freiling from ZDF. Congratulation!