Brussels: The European Parliament has officially launched the call for submissions for the sixth edition of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism. This annual prize aims to reward outstanding journalism that promotes or defends core values of the European Union, including human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the prize was established to honor the memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a journalist who was assassinated on 16 October 2017. The award ceremony is scheduled for mid-October each year to coincide with the anniversary of her assassination. The prize, which includes a monetary award of £20,000, is decided by an independent jury composed of representatives from the press and civil society across the EU.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola emphasized the ongoing threats faced by journalists worldwide and the Parliament's commitment to supporting them. She stated, "Nine years since Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally murdered, journalists around the world continue to be intimidated, threatened, and assassinated. The European Parliament stands by them in their fight for justice."
The prize is open to professional journalists and teams from any nationality, provided their work has been published or broadcast in media based in one of the 27 EU countries. The initiative underscores the importance of professional journalism in safeguarding democratic values and human rights.
The European Parliament has consistently advocated for media freedom and denounced any attempts to limit it. Recent reports highlighted ongoing challenges to media pluralism within the EU and beyond. The European Media Freedom Act, a significant regulation to protect media freedom, came into force in May 2024, and its provisions became applicable in August 2025.
In addition to this, the EU's anti-SLAPP directive, approved in February 2024, aims to protect journalists from strategic lawsuits intended to silence critical voices. Member states are required to transpose this directive by 7 May 2026.
Journalists interested in submitting their work can do so online at https://daphnejournalismprize.eu/ by 31 July 2026, midnight (CET).