Judging process

Our elaborate judging procedure consists of four separate rounds of judging – three rounds for our Preparatory Committee (which this year consisted of 22 members who read 26 languages), and a final 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 make their final selection as fair as possible.

1. Longlist meetings

In the first round of judging, Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) members mostly assess submissions in their original project language, providing national and regional contexts on work from their respective countries/regions. To ensure that all entries in this first round also stand a fair chance in the case of conflicts of interests or languages we do not have represented in the PrepCom, applicants are also asked to supply an English (AI) version of their work. After this first round, the PrepCom decides on a first Longlist in a series of meetings. This Longlist is made up of ~150 projects.

“What matters deeply to us is the breadth of work that finds a place here, from major cross-border collaborations to local reporting that can profoundly shape the communities it serves.” – Cristian Lupșa, Chair of the PrepCom

2. Category meetings

In the second phase of assessing, PrepCom members are divided into groups per Award Category and all members in a category-group judge the same articles within that category. The division is made based on areas of expertise of PrepCom members, and personal preferences. In their second rounds of meetings in February, the Preparatory Committee selects a Shortlist of around 10 projects per Award Category to form a preliminary Shortlist.

3. Shortlist meeting

The 2026 Preparatory Committee during the Shortlist meeting in Amsterdam in March 2026.

A third and final round of assessing then takes place: during an in-person meeting, the PrepCom decides on the Shortlist. In this meeting, the PrepCom narrows the contenders in all categories down to five projects per category. Additionally, the Preparatory Committee may suggest recipients of the Special Award to the Judges – this could either be one project that stood out especially this season but defies the Award Categories, a project that is part of the Shortlist but deserves special recognition, or be made up of a Shortlist with five projects additionally.

4. Judges’ meeting

Finally, the work of the PrepCom is over and the Shortlist is communicated to the Panel of Judges. The Panel of Judges makes the final selection and decides on Winners and Runners-up in all five categories. The Panel of Judges also chooses the recipient of the Special Award, after consideration of potential suggestions from the Preparatory Committee’s side. The Winners and Runners-up are announced during the European Press Prize which takes place annually in either May or August.