2026 True Story Award

📖 About True Story Award

The True Story Award recognizes impactful journalism that influences society. The award evaluates submissions based on three key factors:

• News Value
• Reader Response
• Consequences in Politics, Business, and Society

Ideal submissions demonstrate strengths in all three aspects. Applicants must choose one category for evaluation: Research, Storytelling, or Impact.

🗓 Opportunity Details

• Date Published: September 24, 2025
• Application Deadline: October 31, 2025
• Category: Fully Funded, Grants
• Opportunity Location: Switzerland

🎁 Benefits of True Story Award

• Prize Money: 20,000 USD, awarded across three categories (Research, Storytelling, Impact).
• Recognition: Global recognition and media exposure for winners.
• Networking Opportunities: Engage with international journalists, media professionals, and audience members at the True Story Festival.
• Platform to Share Work: Finalists can present their work and discuss it at the festival alongside peers from over 30 countries.

✅ True Story Award Requirements

• Submissions are accepted from anywhere in the world.
• Reports must be published between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025.
• Entries accepted in 10 major world languages or in translation.
• Open to individual journalists or editorial submissions.
• Applicants must choose one evaluation category: Research, Storytelling, or Impact.
• Work must reflect high standards of journalism and public value.
• Eligible platforms: daily/weekly newspapers, magazines, or online outlets.
• Text length: 3,000–17,000 words.
• Not eligible: republished texts, books, manuscripts, visual/audiovisual works, essays, biographies, historical non-fiction.
• Authors and editors can make submissions.
• Authors must confirm their work is based on researched events and meets journalistic standards.

Submission Options for Non-Main Languages:

1. Translate the text into English and submit it under the category "World I," "World II," or "Europe."
2. Submit the text in the original language under the category "World I," "World II," or "Europe."
   • Provide a summary in English (minimum 400 words).
   • Original texts will be reviewed by native-speaking readers from the network. Selected texts will then be translated into English for evaluation by the jury.

Nomination Rights:

If nominated, authors grant the organizers the right to:

• Publish their work in English translation on the True Story Award website.
• Publish their work in German translation in the festival publication during the annual award ceremony.

📅 Application Date and Process

• Application Deadline: October 31, 2025
• Visit the True Story Award website for more details.
• Apply directly via the application portal.

For more information, visit the True Story Award official website.

• Prize Money: 20,000 USD, awarded across three categories (research, storytelling, impact).
• Recognition: Global recognition and media exposure for the winners.
• Networking Opportunities: Engage with international journalists, media professionals, and audience members at the True Story Festival.
• Platform to Share Work: Finalists have the chance to present their work and discuss it at the festival alongside peers from over 30 countries.