The main goal of the competition is to promote the development of investigative journalism, attract young authors to this field, and uncover facts of corruption and violations.
Works are invited from journalists, media organizations, freelancers, civil activists, bloggers, and students. The evaluation of the works will be based on several criteria, including the relevance and scope of the topic, originality of approach, completeness of disclosure, availability of evidence, exclusivity of information, multimedia elements, and adherence to professional ethical standards.
The winner or group of winners of the competition will receive the Ulanbek Egizbaev Award.
All interested parties must send links to their published materials by January 31, 2026, to the email address [email protected]. The message must include the author's name, the full title of the editorial office or organization, and a brief description of the work. Applications received after the specified deadline will not be considered.
Materials published between January 1 and December 31, 2025, are eligible for the competition. Participants may submit an unlimited number of works; however, unpublished materials are not allowed to participate.
Photo from the archive. Ulanbek Egizbaev
Ulanbek Egizbaev was a renowned Kyrgyz investigative journalist.
He passed away in July 2018 at Lake Issyk-Kul. An official forensic examination established that the cause of his death was drowning.
The journalist's death caused significant public resonance. In 2018, he was posthumously awarded the state medal "Erdik" for his contribution to the development of journalism and his active civic stance.
In his honor, the Ulanbek Egizbaev Award was established, which is awarded annually for the best journalistic investigations in Kyrgyzstan.
