Free Media Awards (formerly: Gerd Bucerius Prize for Free Press in Eastern Europe, ) is the press prizes awarded by the two foundations The Fritt Ord Foundation and the ZEIT-Stiftung.
History and prize consideration The prize was launched in 2000 by the ZEIT Foundation and was called the Gerd Bucerius Press Prizes for Eastern Europe (). The prize is named after the German politician and journalist Gerd Bucerius. In 2004, after the ZEIT Foundation began cooperation with the organisation Freedom of Expression Foundation (Fritt Ord), the prize was presented jointly.
The prize is awarded to journalists and media in Eastern Europe, who are distinguished by their quality, professionalism and civil courage. Organisations consider nominations after consultation with external experts. Each year, an independent jury selects the winners based on these nominations. Three to five awards are awarded per year.
Jury
Alice Bota — Polish-German journalist and writer Ane Tusvik Bonde — Norwegian senior advisor at the Human Rights House Foundation Juri Durkot — Ukrainian journalist and translator — Norwegian journalist, NRK correspondent Martin Paulsen — Eastern Europe expert from the University of Bergen Silvia Stöber — German journalist specialising on Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia
Laureates
2000
Brestskiy Kurier — Belarusian newspaper Königsberger Express — Russian newspaper in the German language Veidas — Lithuanian news magazine Veronika Koutsyllo — Russian journalist based in Moscow
2001
Zerkalo Nedeli — Ukrainian newspaper Asya Tretyuk () — Belarusian journalist Belorusskaya Delovaya Gazeta — Belarusian newspaper — Russian newspaper
2002
Novaya Gazeta — Russian newspaper Vysoky Zamok — Ukrainian newspaper Narodnaja Volya — Belarusian newspaper — Bulgarian newspaper Cristian Tudor Popescu — Romanian journalist
2003
— Russian newspaper Ekspres — Ukrainian newspaper Belorusy i rynok (back in 2003 called "Belorusskiy Rynok" ) — Belarusian newspaper Mikola Markevich () — Belarusian journalist
2004
— Russian newspaper — Russian newspaper — Ukrainian newspaper Intex-Press — Belarusian newspaper 24 saati () — Georgian newspaper Yulia Latynina — Russian journalist and writer Svetlana Kalinkina — Belarusian journalist
2005
The New Times — Russian magazine Chechenskoye obshchestvo () — Russian newspaper BelaPAN — Belarusian news agency Vitebskiy Kurier — Belarusian newspaper Resonansi — Georgian newspaper Semyon Novoprudsky () — Russian journalist
2006
() — Belarusian newspaper Russian-Chechen news agency — Russian news agency (now Finland-based) Sovetskaya Kalmykiya segodnya () — Russian newspaper Vyborgskie Vedomosti () — Russian newspaper Fatima Tlisova — Russian journalist of Circassian origin Veronika Shahova () — Russian journalist Ukrayinska Pravda — Ukrainian newspaper
2007
Natalia Novozhilova () — Russian journalist Inform Polis () — Russian newspaper Caucasian Knot — Russian news portal TURAN — Azerbaijani news agency Nasha Niva — Belarusian newspaper CDMAG or CDMag — Belarusian media project
2008
The New Times — Russian magazine Moy gorod bez tsenzury () — Russian weekly newspaper Victoria Ivleva — Russian photojournalist and correspondent Elena Larionova () — Russian journalist Hazeta Slonimskaya — Belarusian newspaper Yezhednevnik () — Belarusian online portal Rauf Mirgadirov — Azerbaijani journalist
2009
Roman Shleinov — Russian journalist of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta Zoya Svetova — Russian journalist based in Moscow Novy Chas — newspaper of the city of Minsk, Belarus Batumelebi — Georgian weekly newspaper Marianna Grigoryan — freelance Armenian journalist Azadliq — Azerbaijani daily newspaper Natik Javadli — journalist of the newspaper
2010
Mikhail Beketov — journalist of the newspaper Khimkinskaya Pravda () Arsenyevskiye Vesti — the newspaper of the city of Vladivostok, Russia Borisovskie novosti () — newspaper of the city of Barysaw, Belarus Liberali — Georgian magazine — Azerbaijani journalist — Azerbaijani network television Edik Baghdasaryan — Armenian journalist
2011
Chernovik — Dagestan weekly newspaper Natalya Ivanishina — journalist of the newspaper Ust-Ilimskaya Pravda () Marina Koktysh — journalist of the newspaper Narodnaya Volya — journalist of the Internet media — Azerbaijani journalist A1plus — Armenian news portal
2012
Olga Romanova — blogger on Echo of Moscow and columnist for The New Times magazine — Caucasian independent magazine — editor-in-chief of the Gramadzyanskaya Alternative magazine and leading columnist for the Svobodnye novosti plus newspaper The Ukrainian Week magazine Khadija Ismayilova — Azerbaijani journalist
2013
Elena Kostyuchenko — special correspondent of the information department of Novaya Gazeta — chief editor of the online portal — socio-political weekly newspaper Serhiy Leshchenko — Ukrainian political journalist — Azerbaijani journalist Mehman Huseynov — Azerbaijani journalist
2014
— Russian journalist TV Rain — Russian independent channel Tetiana Chornovol — Ukrainian journalist — Ukrainian journalist Mustafa Nayyem — Ukrainian journalist Alexander Klaskovsky () — Belarusian journalist Objective TV — Azerbaijani internet channel Epress.am — Armenian news portal
2015
Netgazeti — Georgian news portal — Ukrainian journalist and editor-in-chief of the online newspaper Ostro V — Ukrainian news agency — Ukrainian journalist — Russian regional socio-political newspaper Galina Timchenko — Russian journalist, editor-in-chief and the founder of the Meduza newspaper
2016
(Our Money) — Ukrainian website Elena Milashina — Russian journalist Seymur Hazi — Azerbaijani editor and commentator
2017
— Russian caricature artist — Russian journalist Zaruhi Mejlumyan — Armenian journalist Meydan TV — Azerbaijani media organisation
2018
Belarusian Partisan — Belarusian newspaper — Russian newspaper Chai Khana — Georgian media platform
2019
The Insider — Russian online newspaper — Ukrainian magazine Hafiz Babali — Azerbaijani journalist CivilNet — Armenian media platform 7x7 — Russian regional online newspaper and blog
2020 MediaZona — Russian media outlet Proekt — Russian media outlet Aziz Karimov — Azerbaijani journalist Stanislav Aseyev — Ukrainian journalist Schemes () — broadcast on Ukrainian television 2021 Katsiaryna Barysevich – Belarusian journalist of TUT.BY Katsyaryna Andreeva – Belarusian journalist of Belsat TV Darya Chultsova – Belarusian journalist of Belsat TV Natallia Lubneuskaya – Belarusian journalist of Nasha Niva TUT.BY – Belarusian media outlet Belarusian Association of Journalists
2022 Mstyslav Chernov - Ukrainian photographer Yevgeniy Maloletka - Ukrainian photographer Nataliya Gumenyuk - Ukrainian journalist and author Andriy Dubchak - Ukrainian photo and video reporter Vladyslav Yesypenko - Ukrainian journalist and political prisoner on Russian-occupied Crimea Zaborona - Ukrainian online newspaper"Zaborona Becomes a Laureate of the Free Media Awards 2022, Zaborona, 19 August 2022
2023 Sevgil Musayeva OC Media
iStories
2024
Abzas Media Larisa Shchiryakova
2025 Mzia Amaglobeli
Belarusian Investigative Center Nargiz Absalamova
References