This is the official call for entries for the 2026 True Story Award! Published reports from all over the world can be submitted as of now. This truly global journalism prize, which will be awarded for the sixth time next year, is presented to authors in three categories:

True Story Award Research
This award recognises high-quality journalistic research. The assessment takes into account: the scope of the research, the time invested, data analysis, the difficulty of obtaining information and any risks taken.
 
True Story Award Storytelling
This award recognises the outstanding linguistic quality of a text. The following factors are taken into account in the assessment: structure and composition of the text, combination of facts and prose, narrative elegance, non-fictional literary quality.
 
True Story Award Impact
This award recognises the impact of a report on society. The following factors are taken into account in the assessment: news value, reader response, possible further consequences in politics, business and society.


Of course, the ideal reportage demonstrates strengths in all three of the aspects mentioned. You must decide in which of the three categories your text should preferably be evaluated. The application procedure will remain unchanged.

The call for entries is open until 31 October 2025 (12 pm UTC). We accept reports published between 1 October 2024 and 30 September 2025 in one of ten of the most important world languages; or as a translation, if the original was not written in one of these languages. Editors may also submit reports from their publications.

The jury, consisting of renowned experts from the fields of journalism, publishing, teaching and literature, will read and evaluate all texts submitted, nominating one author per category and language region for the True Story Award 2026. A total of 36 journalists will receive an invitation to attend the True Story Award ceremony and the True Story Festival in Bern, Switzerland, from 4 to 8 June 2026. The main purpose of the award is to bring journalists from all over the world together and enable an exchange with audiences in Bern. There, the main jury, consisting of seven representatives of all five continents, will choose three winners from the nominated reports. The winner of each category will receive a USD 20,000 cash prize.

We look forward to receiving your submissions! Join us in this global initiative for transparency and media freedom.