Carlos del Amor wins Spain's National Prize for Cultural Journalism 2026 for his poetic TV reporting

RTVE journalist Carlos del Amor has been awarded the National Prize for Cultural Journalism 2026 by Spain's Ministry of Culture. The award, announced on 15 June, carries a 30,000-euro prize and honours a career spent bringing visual arts, film and literature to millions of viewers through the nightly Telediario news bulletin.

Jury's verdict

The jury selected Del Amor for "his commitment to the promotion of the arts, his ability to narrate culture in an accessible way and his skill at discovering the extraordinary in the everyday." Their citation praises a "personal, original and creative narrative style that brings cultural content to a mass audience without losing rigour or quality." The panel described his humanist approach as one that " turns sensitivity into a tool for knowledge."

Del Amor, 51, is the first television journalist to receive the prize, which has historically gone to print and radio reporters. Past winners include Rosana Torres, Jesús Marchamalo and Jacinto Antón. "I think the prize also recognises a medium that is often seen as fleeting and fast," Del Amor told RTVE. "We try to make that fleeting word linger a little, at least, to click in the brain of the person watching."

A voice for creators

Born in Murcia in 1974, Del Amor began his career at TVE's regional centre in Murcia in 2000 before moving to the broadcaster's Madrid newsroom in 2004. He now serves as deputy head of culture for RTVE's news services. Over two decades, he has fronted cultural programmes such as 'TrasLa2', the arts segment on 'La 2 Noticias', and the interview show 'La matemática del espejo'. He has also co-hosted Radio Nacional de España's weekend magazine 'No es un día cualquiera' and, since 2014, has presented the Goya Awards ceremony on TVE.

Reaction and reflections

Minutes after the jury's decision, Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun called Del Amor, who initially mistook the unfamiliar number for a courier delivering books. "I did not expect it," he told El País. "I knew my name had been in some pools, but I didn't expect it. I'm very grateful." On social media he posted:

“No words. Thank you, thank you and more thanks.”

Television as a public service

Del Amor defended the role of public television in cultural journalism. He attributed part of his success to the freedom RTVE gives him to produce long-form segments (a 10-minute Reina Sofía museum special, a 15-minute Picasso feature, a walk through the Sagrada Familia) that commercial broadcasters rarely accommodate. "I try at least to make whoever is there lift their head," he said. "We care for every minute like a piece of goldsmith's work."

On the limits of artificial intelligence

Asked whether AI could one day do a journalist's job, Del Amor was firm:

“It will always need someone, always need some soul behind it.”

He acknowledged AI as a useful tool ("it will make many tasks easier") but insisted the profession must ally with technology without forgetting that what matters is the information itself. The jury echoed that humanism, concluding that Del Amor's versatility and commitment "have helped renew the aesthetics of the genre and reinforce culture as a citizen's right."