Grimme Prize Winners Reject Award - "Open Debate" - Adolf-Grimme-Preis Awards Marred by Controversy, Revoked Prize and Declined Awards
The 57th Adolf-Grimme-Preis awards ceremony, held in Marl, sparked controversy when activist Judith Scheytt's Donnepp Media Award was revoked due to allegations of anti-Semitism. Scheytt's award was withdrawn by the 'Verein der Freunde des Adolf-Grimme-Preises', leaving the ceremony with a mix of acceptance and refusal of awards.
The event saw Eugen Rochko, creator of Mastodon, receive an award for his non-commercial microblogging service. Meanwhile, Moritz Riesewieck and Hans Block, winners of the Grimme Online Award for their AI-generated communication report 'Eternalyou', declined their prize at the gala.
Grimme director Çiğdem Uzunoğlu addressed the controversy, promising an open debate and announcing the institute's future separation from the support association. The permanent future location for the Grimme Award has been set as Essen, although specific dates for its permanent move there remain unclear.
Other awarded offers included 'Gynaekollege', 'Femicide stoppen', 'Barrierebrecher', 'Parlamentsrevue', and 'Herbst 89 - Auf den Straßen von Leipzig'. The GOA jury also selected eight other formats, such as 'Little Monsters' (WDR) on mental health and 'Know & Grow' (SWR for funk) on fitness and health myths.
The Adolf-Grimme-Preis awards ceremony concluded with a mix of acceptance and refusal of awards, leaving room for open debate and future changes in the institute's structure. The permanent move to Essen awaits, with the specifics yet to be announced.
