The world of children’s television comes together at the 32nd PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL
300 children’s television experts from all over the world will come together at Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich from May 29 to June 3, for the world’s oldest and most prestigious children’s television festival, PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL. For a week, they will watch children’s programmes, discuss their strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately award the best ones with the PRIX JEUNESSE trophies.
Broadcasters and production companies from 51 countries have submitted 375 children’s and youth programmes to the main categories. An international pre-selection jury narrowed these down in advance to 66 entries for the final round, which will compete for the coveted prizes, divided by age group and by fictional or non-fictional formats. In the competition for short formats up to three minutes in length, 29 programs have made it to the finals.
While the United Kingdom leads the finalist rankings in the main categories with ten programmes, Taiwan emerged as one of the biggest surprises of this year’s festival, securing an impressive seven programmes in the final selection. Norway and Netherlands follow closely behind with six finalist each, and Germany with five.
A unique feature of the PRIX JEUNESSE: The award-winning programmes are not decided by a jury behind closed doors. Instead, all accredited participants are invited to vote on the winners. They assign scores based on four criteria: target audience, idea, storytelling, and realisation.
In addition to the awards in the main categories, various special prizes are also presented. The target audience itself has a say: International youth juries in five countries evaluate programmes for the 11- to 15-year-old age group as well as short-form content and select the best fictional and non-fictional programmes in each category. A German children’s jury comprising more than 500 children from Munich also awards two “Golden Elephants” to what they consider the best programmes for 7- to 10-year-olds.
In addition, UNESCO awards a special prize to a programme that promotes intercultural understanding. The “Gender Equity Prize” goes to a programme that portrays gender roles in an innovative way. And there is a “Theme Prize” that relates to the festival’s theme.
The theme of this year’s festival is “Media Literacy in Times of Polarization – The Role of Children’s TV.” In an era of growing social tensions and conflicting opinions, media literacy is becoming a key skill – especially for children. They must learn to evaluate information, critically assess sources, and understand different perspectives. Children’s television can play an important role in this: It provides guidance, fosters empathy, and creates spaces for dialogue and understanding. Through age-appropriate formats and narrative approaches, complex topics can be made tangible and democratic values reinforced. During the festival week, participants will gain insights into current developments, innovative approaches, and the latest research on media literacy in the children’s sector.
Since its founding in 1964 by Bayerischer Rundfunk, the festival has lost none of its freshness and inspirational power—on the contrary: in 2026, participants can look forward to a particularly intense week full of exciting and enriching insights into what constitutes quality in children’s television. The opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from around the world—especially at a time of drastic upheaval in the media landscape—and to gain new inspiration for one’s own work makes the PRIX JEUNESSE a unique platform for dedicated children’s media professionals.
The PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL awards ceremony will take place on June 3, 2026, at the WERK7 Theater in Munich (starting at 20:00 h). There will be a live-stream of the show.
Contact:
Kirsten Schneid, Festival Coordinator, PRIX JEUNESSE Foundation
Tel: 089/5900 42058
kirsten.schneid@prixjeunesse.de
Dr. Maya Götz, Director of the PRIX JEUNESSE Foundation
Tel.: 089/5900 42264,
Maya.Goetz@br.de
Photos and additional press releases can be found at www.prixjeunesse.de