Works submitted by journalists, freelancers, bloggers, civil activists, students, and media organizations can participate in the competition. Materials will be evaluated based on criteria such as relevance, scale of the topic, originality of approach, completeness of disclosure, evidential basis, exclusivity, multimedia elements, as well as adherence to professional and ethical standards.
At the end of the competition, the author or group of authors who submitted the best investigation will receive the Ulanbek Egizbaev Award.
To participate, it is necessary to send links to published materials to the email address [email protected] by January 31, 2026. The email should include the author's name, the full name of the editorial office or organization, as well as a brief description of the work. Applications received after the specified deadline will not be considered.
Materials must be published between January 1 and December 31, 2025. One participant can submit any number of works; however, unpublished materials are not eligible for the competition.
Photo from the archive. Ulanbek Egizbaev
Ulanbek Egizbaev was a renowned Kyrgyz journalist specializing in investigations.
He tragically passed away in July 2018 at Lake Issyk-Kul, and according to the conclusions of the forensic examination, the cause of his death was drowning.
The journalist's death caused a wide public outcry. 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 given for outstanding journalistic investigations in Kyrgyzstan.
