Congratulations to the Winners!
Project: Buildings wrapped in solid gasoline
Company: Reuters, United Kingdom
Reuters examined how flammable cladding in buildings has contributed to deadly fires and how missed lessons have allowed such incidents to recur. By analysing fire reports and conducting their own fire safety experiments, Reuters sought to recreate the dangers of the “stay put” strategy. Judges praised the visuals used to explain fire safety concepts, commenting: “By connecting the Valencia fire to Grenfell and highlighting the systemic failures that allowed history to repeat itself, the piece feels like a perfect mix of emotional and scientific — urgent and necessary.”
Project: Todos los maillots de la Vuelta desde 2014: así ha cambiado la serpiente multicolor
Company: Colpisa (El Correo, Vocento), Spain
The team at Colpisa analysed the past decade of ‘La Vuelta España’ Tour to explore how cycling team uniform colours have changed over time. By building their own database, they aimed to challenge the assumption that white has become the most common colour. Using this sports story as a test case, Colpisa experimented with horizontal scrolling and tooltips to enhance data presentation in articles. Their goal is to enable other publications within the group to adopt this approach and optimize the creation of data-driven news stories. The jury remarked, “The fact that this project helped develop a reusable storytelling tool is an added bonus. Ultimately, it’s not just about this article, but about expanding the possibilities for future data journalism.”
Project: VerificAudio
Company: PRISA Media, Spain
VerificAudio is a fact-checking app developed by PRISA Media to verify the authenticity of audio and detect deepfakes created with synthetic voices. By integrating two custom-trained AI models that evaluate Spanish-language audio files, the initiative aims to promote a fact-checking culture that involves not only journalists but also their audiences. Users can submit audio files for verification, empowering the public to join journalists in the fight against disinformation. As the judges noted: “Given the complexity of audio deepfakes, the initiative does well in explaining the risks and solutions without unnecessary alarmism.”
Project: The Öckerö Police Shooting
Company: Göteborgs-Posten (Stampen Media), Sweden
With the objective of exposing serious police misconduct, Göteborgs-Posten conducted an in-depth investigation into what really happened in March 2022, when Gustav, a resident of the island municipality of Öckerö, was shot and killed by a police SWAT team. The journalistic investigation revealed critical flaws, proving the official narrative to be false. For GP, this project extended beyond online and print reporting by introducing a new format to their offering: the audio documentary. The jury panel recognized the meticulous research, the team’s commitment to fact-checking and verification, and their openness about the challenges faced during the investigation, all of which contributed to the story’s credibility.
Project: Euro Prophet
Company: VG (Schibsted Media), Norway
Ahead of the EURO 2024 competition, VG launched Euro Prophet, a platform that allowed users to predict match results and compete in public and private leagues while tracking their scores and accessing VG content throughout the tournament. The project combined editorial content, gamification, and community interaction, resulting not only in increased engagement and time spent on VG’s platforms but also in viral growth, with casual readers and private companies creating private tournaments. With over 190,000 participants, Euro Prophet became the most successful editorial login initiative in VG’s history. Judges pointed out: “Based on the knowledge that football content is popular with readers, this was a really creative way to drive engagement and loyalty.”
Project: The Vertical Breakthrough: Six lessons from a strategic shift
Company: Bergens Tidende (Schibsted Media), Norway
For Bergens Tidende, what works on social media can also work on their website. With this in mind, the publisher introduced a video feed and a front-page shorts carousel to attract younger audiences, and similar to social media platforms. This new approach has led to exponential growth, particularly among users aged 18–29. By adapting to how younger people consume news, Bergens Tidende not only became the fastest-growing Norwegian media outlet on social media but also saw a significant increase in on-site video traffic. Going forward, they have decided to produce their video content exclusively in vertical format. The jury appreciated how the newsroom is embracing this shift.
Project: VG’s Video Revolution: How We Redefined US Election Coverage
Company: VG (Schibsted Media), Norway
Aiming to reach younger audiences and stepping outside conventional TV formats, VG developed a vertical live-stream solution to cover the U.S. Election Night. The broadcast featured dynamic split-screen technology, a new presentation style, interactive comments, and real-time engagement between journalists and viewers—allowing the audience to ask questions that reporters answered live. As a result, VG experienced a 400% increase in daily users compared to previous years, doubled its engagement rates, and saw high comment participation from viewers under 34. Overall, VG introduced a new branded video experience optimized for mobile, which they continue to expand across other news coverage and brands.
Project: Lili Keller-Rosenberge, une vie, une voix
Company: La Voix du Nord (Rossel Group), France
To preserve the testimony of those deported during the Holocaust and to connect with younger generations, La Voix du Nord produced an eight-episode series featuring Lili Keller-Rosenberg, the last Holocaust survivor from the French region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The project aims to explore the importance of memory transmission, raising a crucial question: How can we continue to pass on the memory of the Shoah? In addition to being available online, the documentary is also screened in schools and media libraries to foster ongoing dialogue and reflection on how to keep that memory alive.
Project: AI-Powered Personalization for Subscription Growth & Retention
Company: Aftonbladet (Schibsted Media), Sweden
Schibsted developed an AI-powered machine learning solution to drive subscription conversions by delivering personalized, real-time content suggestions—even to anonymous users. The initiative leverages first-party demographic data and behavioural insights, with recommendations improving continuously as new user data becomes available. This strategy resulted in a 75% increase in subscription sales on front-page articles. The jury emphasized its impact: “This project also shows a great way of experimenting with personalisation on the front pages without risking editorial credibility.” They added that it is “a very intelligent project and a good way of utilising advanced analytics and AI to develop your business.”
Project: V+Premium
Company: VOL.AT (Russmedia), Austria
VOL.AT launched a new subscription service to expand its existing V+ model. With V+ Premium, the publisher introduced features such as account sharing and access to additional content like ePapers. The goal was to strengthen digital monetization while offering greater value to subscribers—an approach that proved particularly appealing to households and families. Results showed that 15% of full-paying users opted for the new subscription model. According to the jury: “V+ Premium offers a strong long-term perspective to sustainably attract customers to a higher-priced product and engage them even further.”
Project: Europe Express
Company: The Financial Times, United Kingdom
Europe Express is the Financial Times’ newsletter specialising in European affairs, covering everything from EU power players to underreported topics. In 2024, and ahead of several key political events in the region, the newsletter adopted various strategies to attract new subscribers. For the European elections, the publisher opened newsletter editions to all readers for free to maximize reach. For the French and German elections, it released special editions in the respective languages to better inform readers in those countries. These efforts, complemented by ongoing offerings such as live events and Q&As, helped the newsletter grow by more than 10% and increased overall reader satisfaction.
Project: The Telegraph How to Become a Millionaire Newsletter
Company: The Telegraph, United Kingdom
How to Become a Millionaire is a six-week newsletter focused on personal finance, designed as a step-by-step course to help readers take control of their money. It covers topics such as budgeting, earning, pensions, property, investing, and tax while breaking down complex financial concepts into accessible insights. Conceived as a standalone product, the newsletter also serves as a shop window for other Telegraph offerings – driving new subscriptions and boosting retention. Readers of the newsletter are 44% more likely to subscribe, while existing subscribers who engage with it are 10% less likely to cancel their overall subscription.
Project: Zehn vor Zwölf – Der Politiknewsletter
Company: Freie Presse Mediengruppe, Germany
Intending to attract younger readers, Freie Presse developed a newsletter designed to bring people closer to political content. The focus was on Eastern Germany – a region where media outlets have expressed concern over the voters’ growing support for the right-wing party, AfD. Freie Presse sought to engage readers with a fresh design, lighter language, and a touch of humour to help counter the false belief that democracy is under threat. Targeting audiences between 30 and 50 years old, the newsletter quickly gained traction and developed into a separate brand. It is now widely read and frequently referenced within the local political sphere.
Project: A very personal experience
Company: Amedia, Norway
One million users visit Amedia’s websites every day, yet only 50% are exposed to half or more of the available content. To improve the user experience, Amedia developed a personalisation engine that combines user data, content consumption patterns, and editorial information to deliver tailored front pages based on individual reading histories and profiles. The results speak for themselves: 81% of personalised teasers outperformed standard ones. Visitors spent more time interacting with content, and subscribers increased their daily time on the platform. In the words of the jury panel: “A great example of how publishers must personalise and prioritise content, commercial offers, and subscription strategies to meet each user’s needs. These results clearly show the impact of optimizing the user experience.”
Project: The Vertical Breakthrough: Six lessons from a strategic shift
Company: Bergens Tidende (Schibsted Media), Norway
After joining TikTok in early 2024, Bergens Tidende decided to integrate a vertical video feed—similar to those found on social media—into the front page of their website. They aimed to build trust among younger users and test their willingness to consume news content. Not only did they become the fastest-growing Norwegian brand on social platforms and the biggest channel in their region, but they also unlocked a new revenue stream by introducing onsite vertical video ad formats. The jury praised the initiative, noting that the new format offers innovative storytelling opportunities and commented: “A great case demonstrating how publishers need to replicate social media UX/UI to meet audience expectations around content consumption – it boosts both engagement and revenue generation.”
Project: Storyfinding
Company: The Financial Times, United Kingdom
A brand-new team at the Financial Times, Storyfinding, is strengthening editorial, product, and technology collaboration to help journalists find relevant information more efficiently and produce impactful, data-driven investigative journalism. By leveraging AI tools, the team has introduced features such as recommended newswires, created custom datasets to make complex data more accessible to editors, and identified potential capabilities that could evolve into new newsroom tools. The judges highlighted: “It’s great to see how this cross-functional collaboration not only helped overcome traditional siloed structures between editorial, tech, and product teams but also produced significant journalistic outcomes and enabled stories that would have otherwise been impossible.”
Project: Top News AI-powered audio
Company: NTM, Sweden
Supporting local newsrooms with limited staff and attracting younger, non-subscribing audiences were the key motivations behind NTM’s Top News (‘Toppnyheter’) project—an AI-powered news broadcast accessible via desktop, app, and mobile. The technical solution scans the news database every 10 minutes to identify the most-read articles. An AI engine then summarizes the top five stories, which are reviewed by editors before being converted into audio broadcasts. NTM has found that more than 50% of listeners are non-subscribers, and 40% of users listen to the entire broadcast. In the judges’ words: “This is a great example of rapid prototyping powered by GenAI and shows how a seemingly simple idea, with solid planning, can help create reusable content that gives users the choice of their preferred format.”
Project: AI-Powered Personalization for Subscription Growth & Retention
Company: Schibsted Media, Norway
By developing an AI-powered machine learning model, Schibsted is leveraging first-party demographic data—originally used for advertising—alongside behavioural insights to dynamically suggest content that drives new subscriptions. Recommendations are delivered in real time to maximize sales impact. After testing the new model against existing versions and placing the recommended news stories higher on the page to increase visibility, the organization saw an average sales increase of 75%. Their next step is to scale their solution across their multiple brands.
Project: IndoSport – A new pitch for our journalism
Company: Irish Independent (Mediahuis Ireland)
As one of the first newspapers to produce podcasts, the Irish Independent aimed to increase brand awareness among sports fans and audiences who had not yet been reached. To do so, they launched IndoSport, a free, sports-focused podcast. After recruiting a renowned Irish sports journalist as host, the podcast quickly grew, reaching over 150,000 downloads within a few months, a 66% increase compared to its first week on air. By expanding IndoSport’s portfolio to include audio documentaries, presence in social media, and live events, the team also unlocked a new revenue stream, attracting commercial sponsorships tied to specific sports. The success of IndoSport aligns with the newspaper’s goal of engaging a younger demographic than the Irish Independent’s traditional audience.
Project: The journalist – and the spy
Company: Göteborgs-Posten (Stampen Media), Sweden
To explore how China’s growing influence impacts Sweden and its citizens, Göteborgs-Posten produced a three-episode documentary series centered on the story of Xuefei Chen Axelsson, a Chinese journalist and correspondent who was deported under suspicion of espionage in Spring 2024. As part of the production process, the team analysed over 10,000 social media posts. This material also supported the creation of a scrollytelling format that accompanied the podcast, enriching the listening experience. The podcast attracted strong interest—not only from Swedish audiences, with the final episode achieving record streaming numbers—but also internationally, gaining attention from various global media outlets.
Project: Trust Insights: Transforming data into impactful advertising
Company: Trustmedia, (Mediafin Group), Belgium
With its data-driven framework, Trust Insights, Trustmedia is taking display advertising to the next level. By tapping into reading patterns, interests, and behaviors across its publications, the tool identifies underrepresented demographics and crafts precise advertising campaigns that resonate with their business and finance-focused audience. This solution has captured the attention of niche advertisers such as financial institutions and investment platforms. The judges observed that Trust Insights enhances the user experience by delivering relevant, non-intrusive ads based on first-party data. They added: “The concept is well known in other industries, particularly traditional marketing, but the unique aspect here is Mediafin’s deep first-party data—because they ‘own’ the audience. Well done!”
Project: Innovative Storytelling: The Art of Blending Visuals, Videos and Text
Company: VOL.AT (Russmedia), Austria
Facing declining engagement with traditional ad formats, VOL.AT developed Story Premium—an advertising-focused storytelling format that enables advertisers to integrate dynamic videos, interactive graphics, and immersive text elements, all aligned with evolving digital consumption trends, into the publisher’s ecosystem. Since its launch, the team has recorded click-through rates (CTR) up to 14 times higher than those of traditional PR articles, along with increased user time spent engaging with Story Premium content. The jury praised the concept’s scalability and strong revenue potential, remarking: “…adapting the format to native advertising with such high editorial quality is brilliant.”
Project: FAZ.NET – Relaunch
Company: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH, Germany
FAZ.NET underwent a complete redesign to maintain its existing reach while converting first-time visitors into regular readers and paying subscribers. The team focused on developing personalised control over advertising, paywalls, and content recommendations tailored to each user’s needs, time of visit, and location. With a customized website experience for every user, F.A.Z. saw a 900% increase in users engaging with personalized content and a 49% boost in conversions thanks to a dynamic paywall. Judges commented: “This is a fundamental change, and it’s impressive to pull this off while retaining the brand’s original identity.”
Project: Driving Digital Transformation of Regional Media: Building 22 Local News Apps on a Shared Platform
Company: Media Group Keskisuomalainen, Finland
Media Group Keskisuomalainen faced the challenge of integrating more than 75 news titles into a unified digital ecosystem. To navigate the demands of digital transformation, the group developed a shared platform starting with 22 news apps, delivering a consistent user experience across its various local audiences. By centralising design, backend infrastructure and aligning cross-publishing capabilities, they streamlined editorial workflows for both large and small newsrooms, aiming to boost engagement and subscriptions, particularly among younger readers. Each app was tailored to reflect the unique identity of its respective news outlet. The publisher observed a 20% increase in time spent on the apps and a 17% higher average number of articles read compared to the website. The jury highlighted the effective blend of scrollability and discoverability, as well as the seamless integration of ePaper into the app.