Investigative Journalism for Europe opens nominations for IJ4EU Impact Award 2026
Nominations are open for the 2026 edition of the IJ4EU Impact Award, an annual prize by Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) recognising outstanding cross-border investigative journalism in Europe.
The award, managed by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) on behalf of the IJ4EU fund, honours investigative teams whose reporting has demonstrated significant impact, journalistic rigour and effective transnational collaboration.
An independent jury will select three equal winners, each receiving a €5,000 prize. The winners will be announced in September 2026 at the IJ4EU UNCOVERED Conference, a flagship gathering of Europe’s investigative journalism community.
The award is open to cross-border investigations first published between 1 January and 31 December 2025 in any credible medium, including print, broadcast television or radio, online outlets, documentary film, multimedia formats and podcasts.
To qualify, investigations must involve journalists based in at least two European countries that participate in the full cross-sectoral strand of the European Union’s Creative Europe Programme, which provides core funding for IJ4EU.
Eligible countries include all 27 EU member states and several non-EU countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Ukraine. Team members based in countries anywhere in the world are welcome to take part, but they must be part of teams that fulfil the core geographical criteria.
Eligibility is based on residency (where you live and work) and not nationality (citizenship).
The deadline for nominations is 23 April.
Find out more
CLOSING DATE
April 23, 2026
