Winners of the 2026 “Sami Frashëri” Prize announced

The third edition of the “Sami Frashëri” Prize was held in Belsh this midweek, an event that aims to honour the most outstanding contributions in Albanological studies, literature and journalism.

The ceremony in the town of Belsh was attended by well-known figures of academic, cultural and media life, among them the President of the Academy of Sciences, acad. Skënder Gjinushi, academics, professors, researchers, writers, journalists and publicists, as well as pupils and high-school students from Belsh. Also present was the Mayor of Belsh, Arif Tafani, founder of this Prize, created in 2024 by decision of the Belsh Municipal Council and named after Sami Frashëri, one of the most important figures of the Albanian National Renaissance.

For 2026, the jury, chaired by Namik Dokle, announced three laureates.

The Prize for Albanological studies was given to academician Vasil S. Tole, for the book “Laver Bariu, the last master”, in recognition of his contribution to musicology, ethnomusicology and documenting Albanian cultural heritage.

The Prize for literature was awarded to the poet Rudolf Marku, for the poetry volume “Kthimet” (Returns), published by “Onufri”. The jury praised the work for its conceptuality and modern expressiveness, and for its contribution to Albanian poetry.

The Prize for journalism was given to journalist Fatmir Popja.

An award which, in journalist Fatmir Popja’s case, is linked to a long professional journey of several decades in Albanian journalism, from print media to television, radio and then online journalism.

The jury, chaired by Namik Dokle, motivated the prize with journalist Fatmir Popja’s contribution as: “A professional of accurate and fast reporting, a courageous journalist of the first investigations in Albanian journalism, a treatment of human problems and concerns, a faithful seeker of the truth, a well-known sports commentator, a leader of local media in the town of Elbasan from the first years of Democracy, a tireless journalist of national media and founder of an online medium.”

The “Sami Frashëri” Prize aims to become a lasting cultural tradition in Belsh, bringing well-known names of the academic, literary and media world to this town, and also involving the younger generation in promoting and preserving the values of national culture. In the first two editions, the “Sami Frashëri” Prize was awarded to well-known names of Albanian culture and thought, among them publishers and publicists Bujar Hudhri and Aleksandër Çipa, researchers Marenglen Kasmi and Shaban Sinani, writers Ben Blushi and Flutura Açka, while the journalist and national media director Aristir Lumezi was also honoured posthumously.

Thus, in just three editions, “Sami Frashëri” has begun to create a distinctive profile in Albanian cultural life.