European Parliament Launches 2026 Edition of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism on 5 May
The European Parliament has launched the 2026 edition of its Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism on 5 May 2026, the annual award rewarding outstanding journalism that promotes or defends core EU values — the rule of law, democracy, fundamental rights and the fight against corruption. From Monday, professional journalists across the EU and beyond can submit their entries for the prize, which carries a €20,000 award for the winning piece.
Why the name matters
Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese investigative journalist who exposed corruption, money laundering and political abuse in her country and across the EU through her widely read blog. She was assassinated by a car bomb on 16 October 2017 — a killing that triggered constitutional crisis in Malta, the resignation of the Prime Minister, and an EU-wide reckoning over the safety of journalists and the protection of media freedom. The prize, established by the European Parliament in 2021, is the most visible institutional response to her murder and to the wider pattern of pressure on investigative reporting documented since.
What kind of journalism wins
The prize is open to professional journalists or teams of professional journalists of any nationality, for in-depth pieces published or broadcast in any EU language by media established in any of the 27 member states. Past winners have covered cross-border financial crime, the misuse of EU funds, the surveillance industry and abuses of asylum systems. The selection panel — chaired by the President of the European Parliament and including representatives of the European journalism profession — privileges work that is rigorous, original, and produces measurable public-interest outcomes such as legal action or policy change.
The wider media-freedom context
The 2026 edition opens against a difficult backdrop. The European Federation of Journalists has documented a steady rise in intimidation lawsuits — so-called SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation) — against reporters covering financial crime and corruption. The EU’s Anti-SLAPP Directive, adopted in 2024, is now in transposition across member states; its effective application is one of the policy outcomes the prize implicitly champions. Separately, the European Media Freedom Act, in force since 2025, is being tested in early enforcement cases concerning state advertising allocation and editorial independence in public service broadcasters.
The 2026 backdrop: World Press Freedom Day
The 2026 launch coincides with the EU’s reaffirmation of its commitment on World Press Freedom Day (3 May): in a joint statement, the European Council and the Commission underlined the EU’s resolute commitment to defending media independence and the safety of journalists as fundamental pillars of democracy, particularly in response to rising global violence, legal intimidation and the proliferation of disinformation. The proximity of the prize launch to World Press Freedom Day is by design, anchoring the European Parliament’s flagship journalism award in a wider political moment.
Submission and timeline
Entries are accepted via the European Parliament’s dedicated portal. Eligible work must have been published or broadcast in 2025 or 2026. The shortlist is decided by national jury members designated by professional associations in each member state; the final winner is selected by the central panel and announced at a ceremony each autumn coinciding with the anniversary of Caruana Galizia’s murder. The 2025 prize was awarded to a cross-border team that exposed irregularities in EU agricultural subsidies; the 2026 edition arrives with an even larger field of nominations expected.
