Grimme Online Award winners spark protest as two directors reject prize

A night of celebration turned tense as two filmmakers abandoned their award onstage. Now, the Grimme Institute faces calls for reform and transparency.

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2025 November 29 . 1:05 AM

1 min read

It is an expo conducted by University there is a table and on the table there are different... — It is an expo conducted by University there is a table and on the table there are different countries flags, a box, some papers and also a banner is kept, to the left side there is a globe ,to the right side there is a notice board and the beside the bord there are few people and to the left there are lot of tables and chairs.

Grimme Online Award winners spark protest as two directors reject prize

The 25th Grimme Online Award (GOA) festival took place in Essen’s former Colosseum Musical Theater. The event saw both celebration and controversy as two winning directors, also synonyms for winners, refused their prize in protest. Meanwhile, eight other projects—ranging from health education to historical games—received recognition.

Directors Moritz Riesewieck and Hans Block won an award but chose not to accept it. They left the stage after placing their prize on the podium, with a Grimme employee later retrieving it. Their protest centred on the withdrawal of an award for young Middle East activist Judith Scheytt, who faced criticism and allegations of anti-Semitism.

The GOA jury honoured eight other formats, including a podcast on parliamentary work called Parlamentsrevue. The game Herbst 89 – Auf den Straßen von Leipzig also won for letting players experience the final days of the GDR. Additional awards went to projects on mental health, fitness myths, gynaecological care, femicides, and the daily lives of disabled people. Eugen Rochko, creator of the non-commercial platform Mastodon, was another recipient.

Grimme director Çiğdem Uzunoğlu called the decision to withdraw Scheytt’s award 'formally incorrect.' She promised a public debate on the issue and announced the institute would fully separate from its support association. Uzunoğlu also expressed hope that Essen would become the award’s permanent home.

The festival ended with awards distributed but tensions unresolved. The Grimme Institute now faces internal restructuring and wider discussions about its decision-making. Future events in Essen remain under consideration as the organisation moves forward.