The Prize rewards on a yearly basis outstanding journalism that promotes or defends the core principles and values of the European Union, such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said:
“A free press is the best shield for democracy. Journalists must be free to report without fear of censorship, intimidation, or retaliation. The European Parliament will always defend and stand up for media and press freedom.
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism honours those who shine a light in the darkest corners — because speaking truth to power should never come with a price. The prize embodies European Parliament’s steadfast dedication to truth and free speech and belongs to every journalist who fights for the facts, no matter how uncomfortable they are. Journalistic freedom is what makes our democracy thrive.”
The Prize is open to professional journalists and teams of professional journalists of any nationality, who can submit in-depth pieces that have been published or broadcast by media based in one of the 27 EU countries. The aim is to support and highlight the importance of professional journalism in safeguarding human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights.
An independent jury composed of representatives of the press and civil society from the 27 member states, as well as representatives of the main European journalists’ associations, will choose the winning entry. The award ceremony takes place each year around 16 October, the date Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated.
The prize and the €20 000 prize money demonstrate the European Parliament’s strong support for investigative journalism and the importance of a free press. Over the last few years, Parliament has warned about attempts both in the EU and beyond to undermine media pluralism.
Parliament has repeatedly denounced attempts to limit media freedom, and especially attacks against journalists, in any form and wherever they may come from. MEPs were instrumental in the effort that culminated in March 2024 in the European Media Freedom Act, which protects media freedom and journalists’ safety and independence. They also pushed for years for rules to tackle malicious litigation, aiming to protect journalists and civil society from strategic lawsuits seeking to silence critical voices, and the EU’s anti-SLAPP directive was finally approved in February 2024.
Journalists can submit their article(s) online at https://daphnejournalismprize.eu/ by 31 July 2025, at midnight.
Past winners
2021 – “The Pegasus Project”, coordinated by the Forbidden Stories
2022 – Documentary on “The Central African Republic under Russian Influence” by Clément Di Roma and Carol Valade (ARTE/France24/Le Monde)
2023 – Joint investigation on the Pylos migrant boat shipwreck (Solomon, in collaboration with Forensis, StrgF/ARD, and The Guardian)
2024 – Investigation on missing unaccompanied child migrants (Lost in Europe)
Who was Daphne Caruana Galizia?
Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist who reported extensively on corruption, money laundering, organised crime, sale of citizenship and the Maltese government’s links to the Panama Papers. Following harassment and threats, she was murdered in a car bomb explosion on 16 October 2017. The outcry over the authorities’ handling of her murder investigation ultimately prompted the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. Critical of failings in the investigation, in December 2019, MEPs called on the European Commission to take action.
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