Everything ready for the ARA Baleares 2026 awards
The five awards are announced, which will be presented on June 15 at the Es Baluard museum in Palma
PalmThe ARA Balears awards return in 2026 to recognize, once again, projects and careers that improve these Islands and the world. Within the framework of the newspaper's thirteenth anniversary and its ninth edition, these awards aim to highlight innovative and transformative initiatives in key areas such as education, culture, social action, commitment to the Catalan language, and economic activity.
The process for obtaining recognition begins, and as usual, any citizen or group can submit or be nominated for candidacies. The period for submitting candidacies will be open from April 25 to May 10, inclusive, and the awards ceremony will take place on June 15 at the Es Baluard museum, in Palma.
The ARA Balears awards, structured into five categories, are as follows: the Bartomeu Picornell Award for Education, the Toni Catany Award for Culture, the Colonya Caixa Pollença Award for Social Action, the Award for Economic Initiative, and the Guillem Frontera Award for Commitment to Catalan.
ARA Balears Award 2026 for Commitment to Catalan
The ARA Balears Guillem Frontera Award for Commitment to Catalan, convened for the first time in 2025, pays homage to the Mallorcan writer and recognizes those initiatives that make the language a pillar of cohesion and the future. The award distinguishes projects, individuals, or groups that work to strengthen the presence of Catalan in all areas, especially in contexts where it is more fragile, and that promote it as a tool for knowledge, integration, and collective expression.
Annual and open in nature, the award will value both the impact and visibility of the initiatives, as well as the capacity for innovation and social transformation, in addition to the active defense of the language and its transmission to new generations.
ARA Balears 2026 Colonya Caixa Pollença Award for Social Action
The Colonya Caixa Pollença Award for Social Action focuses on projects that improve people's lives, especially those of the most vulnerable groups. It recognizes initiatives with a real impact on reducing inequalities and responding to current social challenges, as well as the ability to activate the civic fabric.
Open to individuals, groups, and entities, the jury will particularly value proposals that generate tangible improvements in living conditions and strengthen social cohesion.
ARA Balears 2026 Bartomeu Picornell Education Award
The Bartomeu Picornell Education Award continues to recognize initiatives that contribute to advancing the educational system of the Islands. The award, which recalls the work done by the journalist, focuses on projects that improve results, promote equity, and adapt to social and technological changes.
The jury will especially value the capacity to generate critical and creative thinking, the promotion of democratic values, and the link with the educational community.
ARA Balears 2026 Award for Economic Initiative
The Economic Initiative award recognizes the role of companies and projects that act as a driving force for the productive fabric of the Balearic Islands. Initiatives will be valued that stand out for their capacity for innovation, business creation and consolidation, and economic impact both within and outside the Archipelago.
ARA Balears 2026 Toni Catany Culture Award
The Toni Catany Culture Award distinguishes those projects that contribute to strengthening and projecting the culture of the Balearic Islands. In homage to the photographer from Llucmajor, the award recognizes initiatives that, due to their quality and impact, become cultural benchmarks.
The jury will take into account creativity, visibility, and contribution to cultural and human heritage, as well as the capacity for dissemination within and outside the territory.