We are pleased to announce that the applications for the fourth edition of the Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award are now open.

The prize, first launched in 2019 by the International Association of Religion Journalists (IARJ) with the support of Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIII (FSCIRE), is aimed at honouring and promoting the work of journalists covering religion and spirituality in both mainstream and confessional media that publish regularly in Europe and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin.

Over the years, we have received entries from journalists based in over twenty different countries, exploring a wide range of topics related to religion and faith and their intersection with public life, migration, conflicts and human rights, but also with music, art and technology. 

Besides the prizes of € 1,200, € 500 and € 250 and a certificate, in this fourth edition, IARJ and Fscire will award each winner with a € 500 travel stipend to travel to Vienna, Austria, for the presentation event, in July 2025.

“The IARJ remains committed to promoting best practices in the field of religion journalism and to recognize and reward the work of highly skilled reporters who understand the nuances and stories of faith,” says Peggy Fletcher Stack, the IARJ’s Executive Director.

“We were equally impressed by the quality of last year’s entries and winners,” Stack said. “This is important work for our foundation as we work to expand our network of those who cover religion across the globe.”

What We Encourage

The award is intended to encourage best practices in journalism such as timeliness of the report, accuracy and balance, reliance on a range of direct sources and proper historical and cultural context, through:

  • Working with a wide range of knowledgeable sources in preparing reports
  • Exploring religion’s role in peace and conflict
  • Highlighting efforts at dialogue, especially interfaith contacts that cross religious boundaries
  • Identifying ways that religion shapes public life, including politics, culture, the fine arts, the sciences and our understanding of history
  • Reporting on religion at local, regional or international levels

Reporters are invited to submit their work that was published at local, regional or international levels. We are looking for entries that demonstrate the best in journalism that shows readers the impact of religion in a wide range of issues. Examples include:

  • politics and public life
  • peace-building and efforts to combat bias and bigotry
  • culture and the arts
  • regional traditions as well as the importance of history today
  • the roles of minorities in these regions of the world
  • scholarly research involving aspects of religion and religious communities
  • interfaith relationships
  • impact of the pandemic on religious communities

An international jury of prominent journalists will select the winner, who will be announced in the framework of the annual conference of the European Academy of Religion-EuARe in Vienna, Austria, on 8-12 July 2024.

The competition will accept works that were published between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024 in mainstream media or in confessional media following traditional journalistic standards.

What is eligible?

Applicants must have had their pieces published in mainstream media or in confessional media with standard journalistic practices in countries of geographical Europe and in all countries of the Mediterranean basin.

Applicants must be based in any of the countries of the designated area, and their works must be published in newspapers, magazines, news websites or news wires of the designated area.

Who will judge the entries?

An international jury of prominent journalists will select the winners, who will be announced in the framework of the annual conference of the EuARe.

Time limits & deadline for entries

In its fourth edition, the Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award accepts works published between 1st January 2024 and 31st December 2024. Entries may be submitted as late as March 31, 2025 – 11:00 am GMT.

Languages of entries

Entries may be in any of the official languages of Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Copies of the original articles must be included with your submission.

Important: To assist our judging panel, any entries that are not in English must include a faithful translation in English.

Entry fee

There is no entry fee.

FAQs: Got more questions?

You can find your answer on the Piazza Grande Award 2025 opportunity page.

How to enter

  • Create one document for all of your articles. Acceptable file formats are: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .rft, .txt
  • Fill out the entry form below. *All fields marked with red asterisks are required for a submission. Please try to fill out the other fields as well, if they are relevant.
  • Upload the one document containing all the articles in your submission.