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Grimme Awards 2026 Nominations Announced, Public Broadcasters Lead

Institute leaders fault German television for neglecting major issues.

Overview

  • The Grimme-Institut named 71 nominees from more than 750 submissions, with juries meeting in Marl at the end of January and winners due in March before the April 24 ceremony.
  • Grimme officials criticized a lack of high-caliber engagement with war and insufficient attention to the climate crisis, and the Entertainment commission filled only 10 of 18 slots citing limited innovation and diversity.
  • Public broadcasters dominate the field, with ZDF securing 27 nominations across all four categories, while private channels and streaming platforms received 11 in total.
  • Netflix’s documentary Babo – Die Haftbefehl-Story is nominated in the Special category, praised for opening a broad societal debate on drug abuse, music industry issues, and the impact of dysfunctional family structures on children.
  • ARD correspondent Sophie von der Tann is nominated for outstanding journalistic achievement for precise, human-centered reporting on Israel and the Palestinian territories.