“A reminder of what vibrant, determined journalism can achieve” – Jury Report 2026

Each year the European Press Prize Preparatory Committee and Panel of Judges is tasked with whittling down hundreds of high-quality submissions to our final list of Winners and Runners-Up.

A nomination for the European Press Prize serves as recognition of journalistic work of the highest quality. However, before reaching this stage, each submission first must go through a rigorous process of review. The annual closing of the applications window signals the beginning of a series of Longlist Meetings, Category Meetings, Shortlist Meetings, and a final Judges’ Meeting. 

In total, this consists of three rounds for our Preparatory Committee (which this year consisted of 22 members who read 26 languages) and one round for our Panel of Judges (five members from five countries). During each round, our judging bodies take our category criteria into consideration while engaging in in-depth conversations to ensure submissions are reviewed on a level playing field.

This year’s Panel of Judges consisted of Natalie Nougayrède, Can Dündar, Clara Jiménez Cruz, Natalia Antelava, and Paul Radu. Together, the Panel uses its combined expertise and judgement to ensure the selection process reflects the high standard of work submitted: 

“Choosing the winning pieces is both difficult and exciting, and what I value most is that it is a truly collective endeavour, with each Jury member bringing their own perspective and sensibility to the discussion,” said Natalie Nougayrède. “What makes the European Press Prize selection process especially valuable is the way it brings together a wide range of expertise, experience, and passion from across the continent.”

To help break down this intricate process and to shed some light on the decision-making taking place behind the scenes, each year we publish a comprehensive Jury Report. As well as illustrating the inner workings of the European Press Prize, the report also presents the Jury’s thoughts on each of the shortlisted pieces, emphasising why each project has earned its place among the highest quality journalism in Europe.  

The 2026 Jury Report can be found below and is available to download here.