The prizes provide support for journalists and media that report independently and refuse to give up in the face of threats. The media operate under tremendous pressure in many countries in Eastern Europe. With the Free Media Awards, we seek to encourage journalists and media to carry on their work, despite threats and violent oppression, and to contribute to strengthen independent journalism.

The Free Media Awards will be awarded to journalists and media from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Nominations will be accepted until 1 March 2019, and should include an explanation of why the journalist or media outlet is considered to be a good candidate for the Free Media Awards. Please note that nominations should include references to the quality of their work. The nomination statement should be 1 to 2 pages long, and include a short biography and links to articles, where relevant. To qualify for nomination, journalists and media outlets must have demonstrated a commitment to democracy and freedom of expression.

Please send nominations by e-mail to hanne.vorland@frittord.no
Do not hesitate to contact Fritt Ord if you have any questions about the nomination process.

The Free Media Awards prize amount per recipient is EUR 15 000. The Fritt Ord Foundation and the ZEIT Foundation will be awarding 3 to 5 press prizes in 2019. The prize laureates are chosen on the basis of nominations, which are then reviewed by an independent jury. The jury for the Free Media Awards consists of Alice Bota, Moscow correspondent for the weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT, Ane Tusvik Bonde, senior advisor at the Human Rights Foundation, Oslo, Juri Durkot, journalist and translator, Lviv, Ukraine, Guri Norstrøm, Berlin correspondent for the Norwegian National Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), Oslo, Martin Paulsen, Eastern Europe expert with a PhD in Russian language from the University of Bergen, and Silvia Stöber, freelance journalist specialized in the development in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia for the German public broadcaster ARD and other media.

The ‘Free Media Awards’ is the new name for the Press Prizes awarded by the two foundations The Fritt Ord Foundation and the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius. The press prizes are intended to support the independent role of journalists who continue their work despite reprisals and financial difficulties. The two foundations have been awarding press prizes to media in Russia and Eastern Europe since 2004.

Read more about the awards, the nomination process and former recipients here.