ABOUT
The EU Prize for Journalism was established in 2012 by the European Union Delegation to Georgia. The competition is based on the principles of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics and since its inception, reflects the EU’s strong support for free and independent media. Its aim is to strengthen professionalism and ethical standards in Georgian media.
WHO CAN APPLY?
The competition is open to journalists or teams of journalists (adult citizens residing within the internationally recognized borders of Georgia) who have published their work in Georgian print, online or broadcast media between 20 October 2025 – 25 September 2026.
Award Categories
The EU Prize is awarded in 7 categories. Each applicant must select only one category and submit only one entry in that category.
The categories are:
- Best story in print or online media;
- Best feature story in broadcast or online media;
- Best investigative story/feature in print, online, broadcast media or on YouTube;
- Best blog, opinion or column in print, online, broadcast media or on YouTube;
- The most innovative and original piece of work in print, broadcast, online media or on YouTube;
- Best documentary photo reflecting shared values (Human rights, including minority rights, social justice, respect for human dignity, freedom of expression, democracy, equality and rule of law) and published in print, online or social media;
- Best Student work in print, online, broadcast media on YouTube.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
Entries must be published, broadcast or distributed online in Georgian or English.
Additional Requirements
- Applicants shall submit only their own work.
- Co-authors (if any) shall be indicated in the designated field of the Application Form.
- Individuals involved in creating the journalistic work (e.g.video editor, cameraman, photographer, second author, etc.) shall be considered as co-authors .
- Photographer who did not participate in the planning or production of the journalistic content and only provided the visual material, shall not be considered a co-author
- Editors shall not be considered co-authors.
- The number of co-authors must not exceed three. In case of a team win, the award will be granted to the team.
- Co-author in one category shall not apply for any other category (Exception- see the rule for the photo category).
- For photos published on social media, proof of authorship/ownership shall be provided.
- For works published on YouTube, applicants shall provide proof of copyright and usage rights. Only publicly accessible YouTube content that complies with the platform rules shall be accepted.
By submitting an entry, participants shall consentto the rules, terms and procedures of the EU Prize for Journalism.
Note
Winners and/or co-authors of the 2024 and 2025 EU Prize for Journalism are not eligible to participate.
The jury members, the staff of the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, the contractors, grantees, or organisations directly involved with the competition shall not be eligible.
Evaluation Criteria
Categories 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7:
- Adherence to facts
- Depth of reporting / Focus
- Fairness and balance
- Creativity and style
- Impact / Relevance of the topic
Category 4:
- Creativity and style
- Impact / Relevance of the topic
Category 6:
- Creativity and expressiveness
- Impact/ Relevance of the topic
- Reflection of shared values: Human rights, including minority rights, social justice, respect for human dignity, freedom of expression, democracy, equality and rule of law.
Awards
One winner and two finalists shall be awarded in each category.
Selection Procedures
The jury shall be composed of media professionals acting in an advisory capacity . They will submit their recommendations to the EU Delegation for its final decisions. All decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
Winners will be announced at the 2026 award ceremony, with details published on the website:
eu4georgia.ge/euprizeforjournalism/
Deadline
The deadline for submissions is 25 September 2026.
How to Apply
The application form and instructions are available at: Application Form
Copyright
The European Union reserves the right to publish, in full or in part, the submitted works topromote the EU Prize for Journalism and other EU-funded activities.
