The Maciej Płażyński Award is given to journalists and media serving the Polish diaspora. The intention of its initiators is to preserve the memories of people and the achievements of the Patron of the award – an activist of the anti-communist opposition, the first non-communist Voivode of Gdańsk, the Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and the Deputy Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland, president of the Polish Community Association (Stowarzyszenie Wspólnota Polska), a person with broad horizons and a far reaching perspective on Poland and the world – for whom the well-being of Poles living abroad was always of great importance.

Each year, the prize is awarded for journalist work in the previous year in four categories: journalist of a Polish diaspora medium, domestic journalist publishing materials on the Polish diaspora, foreign journalist publishing materials about the Polish diaspora, and editorial staff of a Polish diaspora medium.

Winners of the three journalistic categories receive a statuette and a financial award of PLN 10,000, and the winners in the “editorial staff of a Polish diaspora medium” category are given a statuette.

This award, being of particular importance for the Emigration Museum in Gdynia, was created on the initiative of Press Club Polska, Jakub Płażyński, presidents of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia, Marshal of the Pomorskie Voivodeship and the Pomeranian Foundation. Honorary patronages over the award were assumed by the Marshal of the Senate of the Republic of Poland and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Winners

2020

Domestic journalist publishing materials on the Polish diaspora category – Anna Kluz-Łoś for a series of publications “To the East of the West” (Na wschód od zachodu”) published on Radio Kraków.

Foreign journalist publishing materials about Poland, Poles, and the Polish diaspora category – Vanessa Gera, Associated Press correspondent in Poland awarded for consistent, objective information content about Poland reaching millions of people all over the world.

Editorial staff of a Polish diaspora medium category – Poles in Italy portal (polacywewloszech.com) for creating and operating an independent, modern information portal for Poles in Italy, which is also a source of information about the Italian Polish diaspora only with the aid of volunteer correspondents from many regions of Italy.

No award was given in the journalist of a Polish diaspora medium category.

2019

Journalist of a Polish diaspora medium winner – Ilona Lewandowska from Kurier Wileński for discovering and thorough descriptions of unknown, moving stories of Polish heroes in the Kresy.

Foreign journalist publishing materials about Poland, Poles and the Polish diaspora – Ignacio Temino Martinez (EFE Spanish Press Agency) for reliable and balanced publications on events in Poland in Spanish-language media.

Domestic journalist publishing materials on the Polish diaspora category – Agnieszka Burton for “Grandkids on a Tablet Only” (“Wnuczek tylko na tablecie”) in “Duży Format” – an emotional story about new emigrants to Australia forgetting their roots.

The editorial staff of a Polish diaspora medium award was won by Polish Media London (Polskie Radio London, Cooltura weekly, cooltura24.co.uk) for creating a professional and dynamic media group serving the Polish community in Great Britain. A distinction in this category was awarded to the editorial team of the Polish diaspora magazine in Turkey “Lehistan Sokağ” for presenting an image of contemporary Turkey as seen through the eyes of the local Polish diaspora and efforts taken towards mutual understanding.

2018

Journalist of a Polish diaspora medium category – Małgorzata P. Bonikowska from Canada, creator and main author of the POLcast podcast, an innovative medium where she promotes knowledge about Poland and Poles in English. In her programmes, she raises curiosity of the world by choosing interesting interlocutors. The jury also awarded a distinction. It was granted to Beata Kost, a journalist of Kurier Galicyjski, for her book “Kobiety ze Lwowa” [Women of Lviv], in which, using contemporary language, she paints interesting pictures of more than thirty women connected with this city.

Foreign journalist publishing materials about Poland, Poles, and the Polish diaspora category – Gerhard Gnauck – author of important and unconventional texts about Polish politics published in Die Welt and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Editorial staff of a Polish diaspora medium category – “Głos – Gazeta Polaków w Republice Czeskiej” for their professionalism and consistent efforts resulting in publishing newspapers for Poles in the Czech Republic several times a week. The jury also decided to distinguish Culture Avenue – an online magazine from the United States, which, with the use of modern forms, promotes Polish artists scattered around the world and often unknown in Poland.

No award was given in the domestic journalist publishing materials on the Polish diaspora category.

2017

A journalist of a Polish diaspora medium – Tadeusz Nowakowski, founder and editor-in-chief of “Nowa Gazeta Polska” published in Sweden, awarded for the courage of discussing very difficult and controversial topics, as well as comprehensive journalist and publishing activity, also in Swedish. The jury awarded a distinction for Larisa Korenets from Radio Rodacy, appreciating her original and moving materials connecting the descendants of Polish expatriates with contemporary Poland, and, in particular, involvement of the youngest generation in this process.

Domestic journalist publishing materials on the Polish diaspora category – Agata Konarska from Telewizja Polska, awarded for introducing a new type of media communication with the Polish diaspora all over the world and building permanent relations with the Polish diaspora. Dionisios Sturis, a journalist of TOK FM radio, received a distinction for documenting the most important and most difficult problems faced by Poles living abroad.

Foreign journalist publishing materials about Poland, Poles and the Polish diaspora category – Rita Cosby for consistently presenting Polish contemporary situation and history to the recipients of the most important American media.

Editorial staff of a Polish diaspora medium category – “Polish Express” weekly from Great Britain for taking up important and valuable initiatives in the interest of Poles living in Great Britain, as well as constant improvement and optimal use of modern technologies in reaching its audience.

2016

Journalist of a Polish diaspora medium category – Iness Todryk-Pisalnik, a journalist of the “Głos znad Niemna na uchodźstwie” for a series of publications under the common title “Grandad in a Polish Uniform” (“Dziadek w polskim mundurze”), presenting biographies of Poles who served Poland in various uniformed formations in the periods of existence of the Polish state or during the fight for Polish statehood. Moreover, the jury awarded a distinction to Jolanta Reisch-Klose from the MyPolacy.de portal, for her publications on various aspects of Poles’ life in Germany.

Domestic journalist publishing materials on the Polish diaspora category – Edyta Poźniak from Radio Poland for a series of publications aired on the main channels of Radio Polska and on the Radio Information Agency (Informacyjna Agencja Radiowa) about the history of Polish diasporas and contemporary problems of Poles living outside the country.

Editorial staff of a Polish diaspora medium category – wilnoteka.lt, portal presenting current events concerning Poles in Lithuania. The award was granted for the high standard of factual content and editorial professionalism.

No award was given in the foreign journalist publishing materials on Poland, Poles, and the Polish diaspora category.

2015

Journalist of a Polish diaspora medium category – Dorota Krzywicka-Kaindel, awarded for a series of publications in Austria in the “Polonika” monthly magazine on the preservation of Polish identity by emigrants, with the simultaneous need to open themselves to the culture of their new homeland.

Domestic journalist publishing materials on the Polish diaspora category – Ewa Szkurłat-Adamska from Radio Kraków for her “Krakowianka” and “Puste stepy” features, in which she showed how Poles coming back to Poland from Ukraine and Kazakhstan are faced with bureaucratic inertia.

Foreign journalist publishing materials about Poland, Poles, and the Polish diaspora category – Kasia Madera, a British journalist of Polish origin, working at BBC World. She was awarded for regular presentation of valuable materials about Poland and Poles in one of the most important news television stations in the world.

Editorial staff of a Polish diaspora medium category – Kurier Galicyjski, the largest Polish newspaper in Ukraine, published by Mirosław Rowicki who is also its editor-in-chief. The award was granted for brave publications on Polish identity in Ukraine and for a thorough analysis of the process of creating Ukrainian statehood and the aspiration of Ukrainians to build a state based on European values.