The International Press Institute (IPI), in Vienna, Austria, and International Media Support (IMS) in Copenhagen, Denmark, have announced a Call for Nominations for the 2026 World Press Freedom Hero Award, which honours journalists who have made significant contributions to the promotion of press freedom, and Free Media Pioneer Award, which is presented to organisations or media communities meeting the demands of the moment through innovative models of journalism, media, or press freedom defence.
In the Call for Nominations, made on February 19, 2026, IPI and IMS said the awards will be presented at a special event at this year’s Gabo Festival, which is scheduled to take place on July 24 to 26, in Bogotá, Colombia, described as “the leading event for journalists in Ibero-America”.
The Festival, now in its 14th edition, is organised annually by the Gabo Foundation, founded by journalist, writer, and Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez.
The World Press Freedom Hero Award is given to journalists who have displayed tremendous courage and resilience in fighting for media freedom and the free flow of news, particularly in the face of great personal risk, while the Free Media Pioneers are trailblazing media or press freedom organisations that have opened up new frontiers for the free flow of news and information in their countries.
The first 50 World Press Freedom Heroes were named at a special ceremony at IPI’s 2000 World Congress in Boston, United States, to mark IPI’s 50th anniversary. In 2010, IPI brought the total list of award recipients to 60 at a special ceremony held in Vienna. The award is now given annually at the IPI World Congress.
Meanwhile, the Free Media Pioneers Award was established in 1997 and is also given annually at the IPI World Congress. Since 2015, both awards have been presented by IPI in partnership with IMS.
The deadline for nominations for this year’s awards is March 20, 2026 (23:59 CEST), and nominations are to be submitted using the IPI and IMS official nomination forms.
The nomination form for the “World Press Freedom Hero Award” is available at: https://form.jotform.com/260273710267050, while the nomination for the “Free Media Pioneer Award” can be accessed at: https://form.jotform.com/260274654023351.
Nominations for the World Press Freedom Hero Award must be individuals, while nominations for the Free Media Pioneer Award can be teams, news outlets, or other media-related organisations, including organisations that defend press freedom.
Self-nominations are not permitted, although a nominator may propose a candidate from within his or her organisation.
The award winners will be selected by the IPI and IMS teams and an international advisory committee.
Details of the announcement are available at: https://bit.ly/4cFTKJJ, and questions about the nomination or selection process can be sent to info@ipi.media.
