The digital publishing award will be held internationally for the first time in 2025. Publishers and service providers worldwide can now submit their innovative projects and products. A new international jury with high-profile members is providing significant support to the organizing DIGITAL PUBLISHING REPORT. Our partners include the publishing community Publishers without Borders, the European Digital Reading Lab (EDRLab) and Rüdiger Wischenbart – Content & Consulting. The prizes will be awarded at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025.
Background:
For many decades, the publishing industry was primarily regional and national. Distribution licenses were granted exclusively on a country-by-country basis, and direct competition was primarily observed in the neighborhood. This has changed fundamentally with the digitization of the industry. Readers are just a few clicks away, but on the other side of the planet. Publishers and service providers are guided by the best practices of their competitors, including those from abroad. The digital publishing award is responding to this by expanding its focus internationally and honoring innovative projects in the publishing industry. All applications must be submitted in English.
About the award:
The digital publishing award honors outstanding projects with which publishers and media companies are mastering the digital transformation. The focus is on innovations in the field of digital publishing: outstanding products, processes or business models that publishers, but also publishing-related players, use to publish their content. The Digital Leader(ship) category recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to digital publishing.
Timeline:
Start of application period: Monday, March 17
End of application period: Friday, August 22
Shortlist presentation: Wednesday, October 1
Awards ceremony at the Frankfurt Book Fair: Wednesday/Thursday, October 15/16 (final date to be confirmed)
Categories of the awards:
Product/Business Model: Outstanding products or services which are already on the market or will be in the near future.
Process/Technology: Processes which are changing the publishing world in the background.
Start-up: Single companies or initiatives that will change the future face of media.
Digital Leader(ship): Publishing professionals who are role models, how they are mastering the digital transformation with their team.
Jury members 2025:
Eric Bartoletti (Bookwire)
Olaf Deconinck (Publisher Consultants)
Talita Facchini (PublishNews)
Emma House (Publishers Without Borders, Shimmr AI)
Nathan Hull (Beat Technology)
Mona Klinkhardt (Ernst Klett Verlag)
Christian Kohl (Kohl Consulting)
Anna Lemp (Hachette France)
Marie-Laurence de Rocher (EDRlab)