PRIX EUROPA 2026 Announces Winners: Antonio Baquero Named European Journalist of the Year: European media awards honour excellence across audio documentaries, investigative journalism, fiction, digital media, television and diversity, with 16 award winners and 13 special commendations recognized. The Awards Ceremony was held at Haus des Rundfunks (House of Broadcasting), Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb), in Berlin, Germany, on Friday, October 16, 2026.
PRIX EUROPA has announced its 2026 winners, celebrating outstanding achievements in European journalism, broadcasting, documentary filmmaking, audio storytelling, television fiction and digital media.
Spanish investigative journalist Antonio Baquero was named European Journalist of the Year 2026. The awards also recognised productions from broadcasters and independent production companies across Europe, highlighting stories that explore public accountability, social issues, cultural identity, education, healthcare and human relationships.
The winners span audio documentaries, investigative programmes, fiction, music, online media, video documentaries and student productions. Special commendations were also presented to productions demonstrating excellence in their respective categories.
European Journalist of the Year 2026
Winner: Antonio Baquero — Spain
Antonio Baquero, an investigative journalist from Spain, received the prestigious European Journalist of the Year award, recognising his contribution to investigative journalism and public-interest reporting.
Audio Awards: Celebrating European Storytelling
Best European Audio Documentary of the Year 2026
Winner: Camp Guard
- Broadcaster: Hrvatska radiotelevizija (HRT) / Croatian Radio, Croatia
- Creators: Barbara Matejčić and Nikica Klobučar
Special Commendation — Single Audio Documentary: Burn My Letters After Reading
- Broadcaster: ARTE Radio, France
- Creators: Mehdi Ahoudig and Samuel Hirsch
Best European Audio Documentary Series of the Year 2026
Presented under the patronage of BBC Audio.
Winner: My Heroin(e): All My Mother’s Lives
- Broadcaster: ARTE Radio, France
- Creators: Audrey Bissonnier Chazalm and Charlie Marcelet
Special Commendation — Audio Documentary Series: When My Partner Went Mad – A Glowing Night and an Open Hand
- Broadcaster: Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR), Denmark
- Creator: Sigurd Hartkorn Plaetner
Best European Audio Investigation of the Year 2026
Winner: World of Secrets – Death in Dubai
- Broadcaster: BBC Eye, United Kingdom
- Creators: Runako Celina, Ruth Evans and Ly Truong
Special Commendation: Children Shot in Gaza – The Doctors’ Testimonies
- Broadcaster: Sveriges Radio (SR), Sweden
- Creators: Viola Gad, Love Lyssarides and Isabelle Swahn
Best European Audio Fiction of the Year 2026
Winner: Candour
- Broadcaster: BBC, United Kingdom
- Creators: Al Smith, Nadia Molinari and Alison Hindell
Special Commendation — Single Audio Fiction: War Secret
- Broadcaster: Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, Finland
- Creators: Hanna-Helena Kinnunen, Kirsi Porkka, Eeva-Maaria Halonen and Laura Jaakkola
Best European Audio Fiction Series of the Year 2026
Winner: 30 Acres: 30 Acres Says No
- Broadcaster: Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), Ireland
- Creative team: Kevin Brew, Liam O’Brien, Colm Tobin, Aidan O’Donovan, Tim Desmond, Ronan Kelly, Nicoline Greer, Shauna McGreevy, Kevin Reynolds and Gorretti Slavin
Special Commendation — Audio Fiction Series: A Winter’s Tale
- Broadcaster: Sveriges Radio (SR), Sweden
- Creators: Sara Stridsberg, Pernilla August, Magnus Lindman and Marie Wennersten
Best European Audio Music Programme of the Year 2026
Presented under the patronage of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU Music).
Winner: The Flying Girl
- Producer: Heartbeats HULiGENNEM ApS, Denmark
- Creators: Brian Wind-Hansen, Jesper Dupont, Christina Engmann and Maja Adjoa
Special Commendation: Fredrik and the Dark Days
- Broadcaster: Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK), Norway
- Creators: Trond Kvig Andreassen, Bendik Mondal and Kjetil Saugestad
Digital Media Award
Best European Online Media Project of the Year 2026
Winner: Learn That: Entrance Exams
- Broadcaster: Czech Television, Czech Republic
- Creative team: Lenka Čtvrtečkova, David Slabý, Anna Kabelková, Petr Nezval, Adam Pešek and Terezie Richterová
Special Commendation: The Fungal Invasion
- Broadcaster: Sveriges Television (SVT), Sweden
- Creators: Moa Frygell and Kåre Vedding Poulsen
The digital media award celebrates innovative online projects that explore new ways to deliver information, engage audiences and develop digital storytelling.
Video Documentary and Investigation Awards
Best European Video Documentary of the Year 2026
Winner: My Word Against Mine
- Production company: Cerutti Film, The Netherlands
- Creative team: Madée Hofenk, Maasja Ooms and Willemijn Cerutti
Special Commendation — Single Video Documentary: Two Cigarettes
- Broadcaster: Telewizja Polska (TVP), Poland
- Creators: Rafał Łysak, Jacek Kucharski, Tomasz Rychter and Maksymilian Rigamonti
Best European Video Factual Series of the Year 2026
Winner: The Dream of America: Four Friends
- Broadcaster: Norsk rikskringkasting (NRK), Norway
- Creators: Gøril Grov Sørdal, Rolv Lyssand Bjørø and Thomas Hellum
Special Commendation — Video Documentary Series: Balder Primary
- Broadcaster: Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep (VRT), Belgium
- Creative team: Michel Vanhove, Sarah D’Haeyer, Ciska Snauwaert, Evy De Ceur and An De Wolf
Best European Video Investigation of the Year 2026
Winner: Child Protection: The Scandal of Child Victims of Prostitution
- Production: Dreamway / France Télévisions, France
- Creators: Mélanie Nunes and Éric Colomer
Special Commendation: No Justice, Just Kills
- Broadcaster: BBC World Service, United Kingdom
- Creative team: Namak Khoshnaw, Lara El Gibaly, Simon Cox and Mustafa Khalili
The investigation category recognises reporting that examines important public-interest issues and brings difficult or underreported stories to wider audiences.
Video Fiction Awards
Best European Video Fiction of the Year 2026
Winner: Nuclear Boy
- Production company: Family Affair Films, The Netherlands
- Creative team: Britt Snel, Joren Molter and Floor Onrust
Special Commendation — Single Video Fiction: Roya
- Broadcaster: Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) / ARD, Germany
- Creative team: Mahnaz Mohammadi, Farzad Pak, Kaveh Farnam, Bady Minck and Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu
Best European Video Fiction Series of the Year 2026
Winner: Those Who Lived
- Broadcaster: France Télévisions, France
- Creators: Antoine Lacomblez, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and Matthieu Belghiti
Special Commendation — Video Fiction Series: My Brother
- Broadcaster: Sveriges Television (SVT), Sweden
- Creative team: Karin Arrhenius, Karin Smirnoff, Sanna Lenken and Anna Wallmark
The fiction awards celebrate the writers, directors, producers and production teams developing original stories for European television and video audiences.
PRIX EUROPA IRIS: Identity, Diversity and Inclusion
Best European Media Project of the Year 2026 on Identity, Diversity and Inclusion
Presented under the patronage of NTR, the Dutch public broadcaster.
Winner: Tina in Sexbierum: Community
- Broadcaster: VPRO, The Netherlands
- Creative team: Tina Farifteh, Natascha Erfanipour, Anne van der Ven, Vera Bachrach and Anja Cloosterman
Special Commendation: What Connects Germany
- Broadcaster: Hessischer Rundfunk (HR) / ARD, Germany
- Creative team: Sergej Moya, Julia Krittian, Therese Scholz, Nina Pater and Dominik Diers
The PRIX EUROPA IRIS award recognises media projects that explore identity, diversity and inclusion, encouraging representation and understanding across European societies.
Student Awards: Rising Star 2026
The PRIX EUROPA Student Award – Rising Star programme celebrates emerging talent and recognises the next generation of audio and video creators.
Rising Star AUDIO
Winner: abbruch – On Access to Reproductive Care in Saxony-Anhalt
- Creator: A.-V. Hofacker
- Country: Germany
Rising Star VIDEO
Winner: Dad’s Expiry Date
- Creator: Chiara Felicia Temmel
- Country: Switzerland
The student awards highlight new perspectives and creative approaches to storytelling from emerging media professionals.
PRIX EUROPA 2026: A Celebration of European Media Excellence
The PRIX EUROPA 2026 awards reflect the diversity and creativity of Europe’s media landscape. The recognised productions span investigative journalism, documentary filmmaking, audio fiction, music programming, online education, television drama and inclusive storytelling.
The winners and special commendations also demonstrate the contribution of public-service broadcasters and independent production companies to European cultural life. Their work addresses subjects that matter to audiences, from public accountability and social challenges to personal relationships, education and identity.
By recognising established journalists, experienced production teams and emerging student creators, PRIX EUROPA continues to celebrate excellence across European broadcasting and digital media.
The 2026 awards highlight the enduring importance of original storytelling, investigative reporting and creative innovation in connecting audiences with the stories shaping contemporary Europe.
