Free Media Awards


Free Media Awards 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, 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

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 — 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
  • 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

  • — 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

    2023

  • Sevgil Musayeva
  • OC Media
  • iStories

    2024

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