Three young journalists honoured in Brussels
The Megalizzi-Niedzielski prize 2026 has been awarded to three young journalists in Brussels, and one of the winning works is a video report on climate change adaptation. The European Commission announced the winners on 14 October 2026, during the European Week of Regions and Cities, in a ceremony at Square Brussels in the Belgian capital.
The prize recognises aspiring journalists who show a strong attachment to the European Union and its values. It is awarded to outstanding talents from the Youth4Regions programme for aspiring journalists, which brings young reporters from across Europe and neighbouring countries together to report on regional and European affairs.
For readers interested in how climate stories reach the public, the result carries a clear message: reporting that turns complex climate adaptation into plain, accessible language can stand beside the best young journalism in Europe. That is the standard this desk applies to its own climate coverage, and it is worth noting in a week when climate reporting itself is under the spotlight.
The three winners of the Megalizzi-Niedzielski prize 2026
Marie Hartmann, Germany — for her video report on climate change adaptation measures. The European Commission praised her strong ability to translate complexity into plain language, accessible to a wider audience. Adaptation reporting often deals with flood defences, heat plans, water management and farming changes; Hartmann’s work was recognised precisely because it made such material understandable without losing its accuracy.
Yoana Kaloyanova, Bulgaria — for her engaging audio report on a children’s education centre in Pleven. The Commission highlighted her exceptional creativity in the submission, an audio story built around a local place and the people who use it.
Žan Tone Urbanija, Slovenia — for his empathetic article on multigenerational centres in Slovenia, written with journalistic rigour and integrity. His work looks at places where different generations meet, learn and support one another.
The other finalists in the 2026 competition were Ágnes Tárnoki of Hungary, Leonie Hartge of Germany, Paul Le Quément of France, Tiziana Albanese of Italy, Tudor-Andrei Vieriu of Romania and Yelyzaveta Andrukhova of Ukraine.
Why the Megalizzi-Niedzielski prize 2026 climate win matters
Climate adaptation is often the hardest part of the climate story to tell. It is local, technical and slow-moving: a drainage scheme, a changed planting season, a neighbourhood cooling plan. It rarely arrives as a single dramatic event, yet it decides how communities live with warming that is already under way.
When a jury rewards a video report on adaptation for clarity, it rewards a skill the whole climate beat needs — the ability to explain what is being done, what it costs, who benefits and what remains uncertain, in language a general audience can follow. That is also why this desk treats verification and plain language as inseparable: a clear story that is wrong helps no one, and an accurate story that no one understands changes nothing.
The win also underlines that climate journalism is not a separate corner of the newsroom. The same reporting craft — fieldwork, checking, fair presentation of evidence — that serves education or community stories serves the climate story too.
A prize named for two young journalists
The prize honours the legacy of Antonio Megalizzi and Bartek Orent-Niedzielski, two young journalists who were killed during the terror attacks in Strasbourg in 2018. It recognises aspiring journalists who share their enthusiasm for the European project and for journalism done with integrity.
The award ceremony took place on Wednesday 14 October 2026, from 17:30 to 18:30 Central European Time, as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities programme in Brussels.
New funding for independent media content
Alongside the prize, the European Commission launched its tenth call for media proposals on cohesion policy. According to EU Reporter, the call carries a budget of 3.5 million euros and invites media outlets, universities and other entities to create independent content on cohesion policy, with applications open until 12 January 2027 at 17:00 Central European Time through the funding portal.
Cohesion policy is the European Union’s main investment policy for reducing differences between regions. Independent reporting on how that money is used — including on green and climate-related projects in regions — is part of how citizens can judge whether the policy works where they live.
Read more of our climate coverage in the climate section.
Key facts
- Prize: Megalizzi-Niedzielski prize for aspiring journalists, 2026 edition
- Announced: 14 October 2026, Brussels, during the European Week of Regions and Cities
- Winners: Yoana Kaloyanova (Bulgaria), Žan Tone Urbanija (Slovenia), Marie Hartmann (Germany)
- Climate winner: Marie Hartmann, video report on climate change adaptation measures
- Programme: Youth4Regions for aspiring journalists
- Media call: tenth call for media proposals on cohesion policy, 3.5 million euros, reported deadline 12 January 2027
Conclusion
The 2026 prize shows young European journalism at its most useful: rooted in local places, careful with facts and determined to make difficult subjects clear. For climate readers, Hartmann’s win is a reminder that adaptation deserves the same clear, verified storytelling as any other major public issue.
