WAN-IFRA, the World Association of News Publishers, today announced the finalists for the Digital Media Awards 2026 – the news industry’s most prestigious global competition celebrating excellence in news publishing.
From 811 entries received across APAC, South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, 278 have been named finalists, representing the most outstanding work in digital journalism, product innovation, and audience engagement from 78 countries. Top-performing finalists from each region will advance to compete for the global title in each of the 12 categories, with winners announced at the World News Media Congress 2026 on 2 June in Marseille. At stake is more than just a trophy – it’s the global recognition that accompanies the hardware.
This year’s submissions reflect both the breadth and momentum of digital publishing today. The following categories drew the strongest participation: Best Use of Video, Best Data Visualisation, Most Innovative Digital Product, Best in Audience Engagement, and Best AI-driven News Product, Format, or Strategy. The category, Best Emerging News Providers, makes its debut this year – recognising the growing role that news creators play in the global news ecosystem.
“This year’s finalists prove that the future of journalism is not ahead of us – it is being built right now. Their work reimagines how content is created and delivered, with a clear focus on relevance, impact, and strengthening public trust in independent journalism. Together, they set a powerful benchmark for excellence, combining creativity with execution and showing how purpose-driven innovation can shape a more trusted and resilient media landscape.
Among the outstanding entries, ‘Best in Countering Disinformation’ stands out. At a time when trust is under pressure these initiatives demonstrate how journalism can confront falsehoods, strengthen public understanding and help audiences resist manipulation.”
– Stig Ørskov, CEO of WAN-IFRA
An international jury of 61 innovative media leaders selected the finalists, including renowned news designer, Dr Mario García, and Jacqui Merrington, Executive Editor of The Independent. Other judges included Adriana Lacy (Field Nine Group), Aileen Rae Perez (GMA Integrated News Social Media), Bal Krishna (Fact Check), Caroline J. Kimutai (Burson), Ignacio Zaccagnino (Normadic), and many more.
The finalists themselves are a vivid cross-section of what modern journalism looks like in practice – newsletters and podcast series sit alongside interactive data visualisations and AI-powered news products. What distinguishes them is not only creativity, but strong execution, scalability, and measurable results. Their work also reflects how AI has moved from experimentation to become a core part of how newsrooms operate and compete.
Top-scoring finalists will also be recognised at the following events:
- Digital Media LATAM – April 15-16, 2026 | Bogotá
- Digital Media Asia – April 28-29, 2026 | Manila
- Digital Media India – June 24-25, 2026 | Delhi
- Africa AI Forum – Tentatively July 21-22, 2026 | Virtual
- Digital Media Europe – The week commencing October 19, 2026 | London: Recognising both European and Middle Eastern finalists
Media enquiries
Qingxia Wu, Senior Digital Marketing Manager Global Events, WAN-IFRA: qingxia.wu@wan-ifra.org
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ABOUT WAN-IFRA. WAN-IFRA is the World Association of News Publishers. Its mission is to protect the rights of journalists and publishers around the world to operate independent media. WAN-IFRA provides its members with expertise and services to innovate and prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in society. With formal representative status at the United Nations, UNESCO and the Council of Europe, it derives its authority from its global network of leading news publishing companies and technology entrepreneurs, and its legitimacy from its 80 national association members representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries. www.wan-ifra.org.
