Source: European Union 2 Published on: 2026-05-29
Grand Prix and Public Choice Award winners of the European Heritage Awards/ Europa Nostra Awards announced during European Heritage Summit in Nicosia.
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European Union
On 28 May, some 500 guests and many more viewers online from the heritage community joined the 2026 European Heritage Awards Ceremony in Nicosia (Cyprus) to celebrate the 30 winners of the European Heritage Awards/ Europa Nostra Awards.
During the ceremony, which formed the highlight of the Cultural Heritage Summit 2026, the laureates of the five Grand Prix and the Public Choice Award selected from this year’s winners were revealed.
These are the 5 Grand Prix winners
Conservation & Adaptive Reuse category
Polirone Monastic Complex, San Benedetto Po, Italy
The long-term restoration of the Polirone Monastic Complex of San Benedetto Po stabilised earthquake damage, conserved historic fabric, and reactivated the site with new cultural and civic functions.
Find out more about the Polirone Monastic Complex
The Cypriot Fiddler, Cyprus
The Cypriot Fiddler research project documents the life stories of traditional Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot musicians. Through long-term fieldwork, a documentary, a book and an open-access website, it preserves oral storytelling, local dialects and a shared musical heritage.
Find out more about The Cypriot Fiddler
Education, Training & Skills category
Improving the Energy Performance of Heritage Properties in State Care Initiative, Ireland
The Office of Public Works in Ireland developed practical guidance and a technical training programme to help public authorities improve the energy performance of historic buildings without compromising their heritage value. It strengthens professional skills and proves that climate action and heritage conservation can be complimentary.
Find out more about this Irisz project
Heritage Champions category
Din l-Art Ħelwa – The National Trust for Malta, Valletta, Malta
Din l-Art Ħelwa has protected the Malta’s cultural and natural heritage since 1965 through restoration, advocacy, and public engagement. The volunteer-driven organisation manages historic sites and plays a leading role in heritage protection across the Maltese Islands.
Find out more about Din l-Art Ħelwa
Heritage Champions category
Maryna Hrytsenko †, Chernihiv, Ukraine
Maryna Hrytsenko (1986-2025) was chief custodian of the Galagan Art Museum in Chernihiv. At the start of the war in 2022, she singlehandedly dismantled the Museum’s exhibitions and safeguarded over 17 000 objects in underground storage. In 2023, she joined the army as a paramedic and was killed in 2025 evacuating wounded soldiers.
Find out more about Maryna Hrytsenko
Public Choice Winner
Bánffy Castle, Romania
The winner of the Public Choice Award 2026 is the restoration project of Bánffy Castle, Răscruci, in Romania. Completed in 2023. The restoration has allowed the castle and park to reopen to local residents, visitors and specialists — with public events and educational activities taking place on site. This remarkable project raised the largest number of votes, cast via an online poll with the participation of some10 000 citizens from across Europe.
Find out more about the Bánffy Castle, Răscruci
The Public Choice Award winner and the five laureates of the Grand Prix received a monetary prize of €10 000 each.
About the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards
The European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards are co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme and managed by Europa Nostra on behalf of the European Union since 2002.
Each year, the annual EU prize for cultural heritage honours up to 30 excellent achievements and outstanding personalities from European countries representing the latest developments and priorities related to heritage policy and practice in Europe.