The international jury members have been announced, and applications for the 2026 Global Media Awards are now open, according to the country’s MIC.
This year’s competition is held under the key motto “Water Bankruptcy – Every Drop Counts.”
The initiative’s goal is to draw the attention of the global public, journalists, and content creators to the problem of depleting global freshwater reserves and the search for solutions to the water crisis. Submissions will be accepted until September 15, 2026.
The award’s theme is based on a flagship UN report prepared by Dr. Kaveh Madani, Director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH). The experts concluded that humanity has moved beyond a temporarily surmountable “water crisis” and entered an era of “water bankruptcy,” in which many rivers, lakes, and aquifers are irreversibly depleted and will not be able to return to previous levels without fundamental changes.
An expert international jury, comprising leading media producers, environmental journalists, and experts in innovative storytelling, judges the competition.
Competition entries are accepted in two main categories:
Television – television stories, special reports, documentaries and analytical programs.
Digital media – content for social networks (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook), animation, interviews, as well as projects created using AI (AI-assisted productions).
Broadcasters, independent journalists, documentary filmmakers, digital content creators, students, and bloggers are eligible to participate. Each participant may submit one entry in each of the two categories.
Submissions created or broadcast between May 15, 2024 and September 15, 2026, will be considered. Submissions should cover the causes and consequences of water depletion, as well as practical solutions for conserving water resources, protecting the environment, and adapting to climate change.
