Literary award · since 1997

UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

International journalism award for persons, organizations or institutions that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence of press freedom (1997–). Established 1997.

About UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, created in 1997, 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, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. The prize, worth US$ 25,000, is awarded each year on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. The prize is named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, the editor of the Colombian newspaper El Espectador, who was murdered in Bogotá on 17 December 1986. Cano was a vocal critic of the country's powerful drug barons. Each year, an independent jury of six news professionals selected by the UNESCO Director-General selects a winner from the many nominations submitted by non-governmental organizations working in the field of press freedom, and by UNESCO Member States.

From the Wikipedia article “World Press Freedom Prize”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2025La Prensa—
2023Niloofar Hamedi—
2023Narges Mohammadi—
2022Belarusian Association of Journalists—
2021Maria Ressa—
2020Jineth Bedoya Lima—
2019Wa Lone—
2019Kyaw Soe Oo—
2018Mahmoud Abu Zeid—
2017Dawit Isaak—
2016Xədicə İsmayılova—
2015Mazen Darwish—
2014Ahmet Şık—
2013Reeyot Alemu—
2012Eynulla Fatullayev—

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data