Sinterklaasjournaal receives Machiavelli Prize 2025
The Machiavelli Prize 2025 has been awarded to Het Sinterklaasjournaal. This was announced today by the board of the Machiavelli Foundation. The prize is awarded annually for an outstanding achievement in the field of public communication.
The Sinterklaasjournaal, a television programme produced by NTR, receives the award because ‘the programme has been a constant and unifying force in Dutch society for twenty-five years. It has become an annual benchmark that provides daily magic and conversation topics for young and old, viewers with and without children,’ according to the jury report.
“Sharp, humorous, and with exceptional societal sensitivity, Het Sinterklaasjournaal operates at the intersection of tradition and change, always with an idiosyncratic and surprising approach,” the jury report continues.
“It is exceptionally impressive how Het Sinterklaasjournaal communicates on multiple levels: in simple language, accessible and understandable to everyone, without sacrificing sharpness,” the jury report states.
Award ceremony
The prize will be presented on Wednesday, 25 February at 5:00 p.m. by Marja Wagenaar, Chair of the Machiavelli Foundation, at the Nieuwspoort Press Centre. The award ceremony is open to anyone who registers via the Machiavelli Foundation’s website and can also be followed live from 5:00 p.m. via NPO Politiek and Nieuwspoort’s channels.
Previous prize winners include Saskia Belleman, Jaap Velema, Johan Remkes, Marion Koopmans and Diederik Gommers, the investigative journalism collective Bellingcat, She Decides, Mayor Eberhard van der Laan, H.R.H. Princess Máxima, and national football coach Bert van Marwijk.
Prior to the award ceremony, Hedy d’Ancona will deliver the annual Machiavelli Lecture, entitled “Dreamed Equality, Now Achieved?”. D’Ancona (born 1937) is an influential feminist, publicist, former minister, and co-founder of Opzij.
The Machiavelli Foundation is committed to promoting public communication. Public Matters has been the main sponsor of the Machiavelli Foundation since 2010.
Photo: Wim Kluvers
“Sharp, humorous, and marked by an exceptional social awareness, Het Sinterklaasjournaal operates at the intersection of tradition and change, consistently delivering an original and surprising perspective.”
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