Everything ready for the ARA Balears Awards 2026
The five awards are announced, which will be presented on June 15th at the Es Baluard museum in Palma
PalmaThe 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 the recognitions 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 award 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 for Education, the Toni Catany for Culture, the Colonya Caixa Pollença for Social Action, the award for Economic Initiative, and the Guillem Frontera for Commitment to Catalan.
ARA Balears Award 2026 for Commitment to Catalan
The ARA Balears Guillem Frontera Award for Commitment to Catalan, first convened in 2025, pays tribute to the Majorcan writer and recognizes 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 most fragile, and promote it as a tool for knowledge, integration, and collective expression.
Annual and open in nature, the award will assess 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 the most vulnerable groups. It recognizes initiatives with a real impact on reducing inequalities and responding to current social challenges, as well as the capacity 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 Award for Education
The Bartomeu Picornell Award for Education continues to recognize initiatives that contribute to advancing the educational system of the Balearic Islands. The award, which commemorates the work of the journalist, emphasizes projects that improve results, promote equity, and adapt to social and technological changes.
The jury will particularly 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 that stand out for their capacity for innovation, the creation and consolidation of businesses, and their economic impact both within and outside the Archipelago will be valued.
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 capacity, become cultural benchmarks.
The jury will take into account creativity, visibility, and contribution to cultural and human heritage, in addition to diffusion capacity within and outside the territory.
