With the European and African winners now announced, WAN-Ifra has listed global finalists for its 2026 Digital Media Awards competition.
Fifty global finalists have been named, selected from 278 regional finalists across Europe, Africa, APAC, the Americas, South Asia and the Middle East.
Once again the global shortlist is a testament to the creativity, ambition, and resilience driving digital journalism forward. Spanning 12 categories, these innovators, storytellers, and digital pioneers represent the best of the industry, from bold independent publishers to the world's biggest news brands, across both established and emerging markets. Winners will be announced and honoured during WAN-Ifra’s World Media Congress in Marseilles next month.
Check the links below to view winning work:
Best News Website or App Relaunch
This category recognises outstanding redesigns or relaunches of digital news platforms, including websites and apps, that significantly improve user experience, editorial presentation, performance, and strategic value.
View finalists
- CNA App Revamp — CNA, Mediacorp | Singapore
- Crime World — Irish Independent | Ireland
- New El Tiempo News App — Casa Editorial El Tiempo | Colombia
- Young World Club — The Hindu Group | India
Best in Countering Disinformation
This category rewards outstanding work that strengthens public understanding and trust by confronting disinformation with transparency, responsiveness, and innovation.
View finalists
- Indicator — Indicator | Canada
- Kumbh Investigation — BBC News Hindi | India
- La Buloteca — Maldita.es | Spain
- X-Boer Unmasked — News24 | South Africa
Best Emerging News Providers
This new category recognises independent news creators or early-stage news organisations that demonstrate credibility, originality, and clear public value. It celebrates creators who consistently produce factual, community-relevant information for digital platforms, particularly in underserved or low-trust information environments.
View finalists
- Indicator — Indicator | Canada
- Soiciety — Soiciety | Thailand
- Spot On: Journalism Meeting the Moment in a Creator Economy — Spot On | India
- Fayli Xelk: Community Powered Journalism — AVA Media | Iraq
Best Reader Revenue Strategy
This category recognises smart subscription and membership strategies that support journalism through long-term loyalty, especially those that are technically sound, editorially strong, and contextually adapted to different markets and audiences.
View finalists
- Di +Pro — Bonnier News | Sweden
- Resilience & Revenue: Turning Investigative Impact into a 45% Subscription Growth in 2025 — Tempo.co | Indonesia
- UOL+: The Lifestyle Bundle Strategy — UOL | Brazil
- Winning the Young Ones — NTM | Sweden pictured top)
Best AI-driven News Product, Format or Strategy
This category recognises innovative, ethical, and fully implemented uses of AI in journalism.
View finalists
- AI LINK: Let News Flow — Seoul Economic Daily | Republic of Korea
- AINews: AI-Powered Digital News Initiative Supporting Regional Media Under Pressure — Journalism Resource Center (JRC) | Georgia
- Cheatsheet: A Spreadsheet-Based Investigative Tool to Make Sense of Large Datasets Using AI — The New York Times | USA
- EqualVoice Assistant — Ringier AG | Switzerland
- Framing Gaza — Daraj, Saheeh Masr | Egypt
Best Newsletter
This category honours newsletters as essential journalistic formats that combine voice, service, and strategy to deepen audience relationships and build long-term loyalty, regardless of business model or scale.
View finalists
- AI PRISM: Personalized Report & Insight Summarizing Media — Seoul Economic Daily | Republic of Korea
- India Business Briefing — Financial Times | India
- The AI Shift — Financial Times | United Kingdom
- Unhedged — Financial Times | USA
Best in Audience Engagement
This category honours initiatives that build strong, sustained relationships with audiences through intentional, inclusive, and digitally relevant engagement.
View finalists
- Ask an Expert — Financial Times | United Kingdom
- Dave Jorgenson Goes Independent — Local News International | USA
- FloodControlPH — Rappler | Philippines
- UOL 360° Ecosystem: From ‘Dark Social’ to Live Broadcasting — UOL | Brazil
Most Innovative Digital Product
This category recognises a digital product that offers a compelling and effective solution to a specific audience or market need.
View finalists
- Fintech AI Suite — HT Digital Streams | India
- Iran International Telegram Bot — Volant Media | United Kingdom
- News Connect: Same Journalism. New Interface. AI Native. — Ippen Digital | Germany
- Publish X: A Digital Product for Scalable Editorial Decision-Making — United Daily News Group | Taiwan
- Reimagining Video for Premium Journalism — Verdens Gang (VG) | Norway
Best Use of Video
This category honours powerful video journalism that makes strong use of the format to serve editorial goals, tell original stories, and engage audiences across digital platforms.
View finalists
- Anatomy of BGB Shootings in Rampura — The Daily Star | Bangladesh
- How Women Protect Mexico City’s Ancient Island Farms — Mongabay and Associated Press | Mexico
- Le Touriste: Le Parisien’s Video Series — Le Parisien | France
- The Price of Silence: Exposing the IDT Bribe Attempt on Journalist — Daily Maverick | South Africa
Best Use of Audio
This category rewards audio journalism that expands storytelling, deepens public understanding, and engages listeners through sound.
View finalists
- Delayland — Deutsche Welle (DW) | Germany
- No Quiet at Home: The Reality of Living with Singapore’s Traffic Noise — SPH Media, The Straits Times | Singapore
- Storytime with Zaza and Zuzu — BBC Media Action & Ma’an Network | Palestine
- The Outlaw Ocean Podcast — The Outlaw Ocean Project, CBC Podcasts | USA
Best Data Visualisation
This category recognises data visualisations that turn complex information into clear, engaging and accessible storytelling.
View finalists
- A New, Mobile-First Election Coverage — Verdens Gang (VG) | Norway
- Así Volaron una Fábrica de Armas en la Argentina para Ocultar Pruebas de Corrupción — LA NACION | Argentina
- Stranded at Sea: A Decade After EU’s Migrant Crisis, Hundreds Still Dying in Mediterranean — Reuters | United Kingdom
- The Lives Lost in Gaza — Reuters | Singapore
Best Marketing Campaign for a News Brand
This category recognises the most impactful marketing campaigns led by news organisations to grow their audience, strengthen brand positioning, or reinforce trust and public value.
View finalists
- Every Goal Counts — Golazo.ro | Romania
- O GLOBO 100 — O GLOBO | Brazil
- The Australian: Welcome to the Contest of Ideas — News Corp Australia, The Australian | Australia
- The P&J: Your Voice of the North — DC Thomson | United Kingdom

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