Deadline: February 15, 2026
Nominations are open for the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2026. Created in 1997, the annual UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize honours a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, and especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger.
The Prize was established on the initiative of UNESCO’s Executive Board and is formally conferred by UNESCO, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May. It is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia on 17 December 1986.
Prize
- The prize winner receives $25,000.
Eligibility
- Candidates shall have made a significant contribution to press freedom anywhere in the world representing all types of media including digital media.
- Prizes may be conferred upon individuals, institutions, other entities or non-governmental organizations.
Nomination
Nominations shall be submitted to the Director-General by the governments of Member States, in consultation with their National Commissions, and by international and regional professional and non-governmental organizations active in the field of journalism and freedom of expression. A self-nomination cannot be considered.
Each nomination shall be accompanied by a written recommendation, which shall include, in English or French, inter alia:
- a description of the candidate’s background and achievements;
- the candidate’s contributions of major importance to the promotion of freedom of the press, submitted to the Jury for consideration;
- a definition of the candidate’s contribution to the Prize’s objectives.
- a high-resolution photo portrait of the candidate.
For more information, visit UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
