IARJ announces the 5th Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award
We are pleased to announce that the applications for the fifth edition of the Piazza Grande Religion Journalism Award are now open.
The prize, first launched in 2019 , is aimed at honouring and promoting the work of journalists covering religion and spirituality in media that publish regularly in Europe and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin.
Over the years, we have received entries from journalists based in 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.
The recipients of the award will receive prizes of € 1,200, € 500 and € 250 and a certificate.
“It has been exciting to read the excellent entries in our Piazza Grande contest each year as the quality of the work continues to rise,” said Peggy Fletcher Stack, the IARJ’s Executive Director. “There is a growing number of highly skilled reporters around the globe who understand the nuances and stories of faith.”
IARJ is honored “to recognize and reward those who add so much depth and breadth to the coverage of religion for their audience,” Stack said, “at a time of such misinformation and conflict.”
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 October.
The competition will accept works that were published between 1st January 2025 and 31st December 2025 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 2025 and 31st December 2025. Entries may be submitted as late as June 15, 2026 – 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 2026 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.