The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has announced the 278 finalists selected for the 2026 Digital Media Awards, recognizing excellence in digital journalism and news publishing. The competition received 811 entries from 78 countries across six regions: APAC, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Finalists will compete within 12 categories, with regional winners advancing to contend for global titles at the World News Media Congress on June 2nd in Marseille. The awards acknowledge innovation in areas including digital journalism, product development, and audience engagement. Categories attracting the most submissions this year included Best Use of Video, Best Data Visualisation, Most Innovative Digital Product, Best in Audience Engagement, and Best AI-driven News Product. A modern category, Best Emerging News Providers, was introduced to recognize independent news creators.
WAN-IFRA CEO Stig Ørskov emphasized the significance of the submissions, stating, “This year’s finalists prove that the future of journalism is not ahead of us – This proves being built right now. Their work reimagines how content is created and delivered, with a clear focus on relevance, impact, and strengthening public trust in independent journalism.” He further highlighted the importance of initiatives focused on countering disinformation, noting their role in “confront[ing] falsehoods, strengthen[ing] public understanding and help[ing] audiences resist manipulation.”
An international jury of 61 media leaders selected the finalists. The jury included Dr. Mario García, a renowned news designer, and Jacqui Merrington, Executive Editor of The Independent. Other jurors included Adriana Lacy of Field Nine Group, Aileen Rae Perez of GMA Integrated News Social Media, Bal Krishna of Fact Check, Caroline J. Kimutai of Burson, and Ignacio Zaccagnino of Normadic.
The finalists represent a diverse range of modern journalistic practices, encompassing newsletters, podcasts, interactive data visualizations, and AI-powered news products. WAN-IFRA noted that the entries demonstrated not only creativity but also strong execution, scalability, and measurable results, reflecting a shift towards integrating artificial intelligence into core newsroom operations.
Regional events will recognize top-scoring finalists prior to the global awards ceremony. These events include Digital Media LATAM in Bogotá on April 15-16, Digital Media Asia in Manila on April 28-29, Digital Media India in Delhi on June 24-25, the Africa AI Forum (virtual) tentatively scheduled for July 21-22, and Digital Media Europe in London the week of October 19, encompassing both European and Middle Eastern finalists.
WAN-IFRA, formed through a recent merger with FIPP, represents 18,000 publications in 120 countries. The organization advocates for the independence of news publishers and provides resources for innovation in the digital media landscape. Media inquiries regarding the awards can be directed to Qingxia Wu, Senior Digital Marketing Manager, Global Events, at [email protected].
Leave a Reply