When the first Swedish Grand Prize for Journalism was given out in 1966, it was the start of a long Bonnier tradition of honoring the best that journalism has to offer with independent journalism awards. From exposing corruption to giving a voice to the invisible, revealing surprising truths to telling amazing stories in a way no one else can. For over 50 years, the awards have recognized the best in Swedish journalism, and the best in Finland as well since 2000 when the Finnish Grand Prize for Journalism was instituted. In Estonia, the Bonnier Award for top investigative journalism was established in 1996. And there are even journalism awards given out by individual publications, such as Swedish news daily Expressen’s Per Wendel Prize awarded annually.

“Serving as a watchdog over power, whatever it looks like and however it’s expressed, is the duty of journalism and its most important job,” says Jonas Bonnier, chairman of the jury for the Swedish Grand Prize for Journalism. “And in times when those in power are actively working to stop this and will avoid being scrutinized, it feels like the Grand Prize for Journalism is more important than ever. To once a year get a chance to highlight, encourage and reward the high-quality journalism that’s undertaken by big and small news desks all over Sweden, has been a Bonnier tradition of the very best sort.” 

Jonas Bonnier

Non-Stop Dialogue 

A finalist in 2016 and named Innovator of the Year in the Swedish Grand Prize for Journalism 2017, Expressen’s Magda Gad is one of the country’s most visible journalists, with her extensive onsite war coverage in Syria and the Middle East and an enormous following on social media. In giving her the prize, the jury noted Gad’s talent for taking her audience with her to the front, reinventing war coverage with a popular and ongoing dialogue. 

“I do my journalism collaborating with the readers,” says Gad. “We have two-way communication, where both sides provide information, questions and discussion. It leads to much better and deeper journalism. Even engagement and influence and the possibility to change things increases. This is the whole meaning behind my work. The readers spread the reporting by talking with their children and colleagues, and they write letters to everyone from our prime minister to aid organizations. ”  

Magda Gad