Applications can be submitted until July 8, 2026, in the categories of text, audio, video, and social media for professionals, and text and audio for students.
Applications are now open for the 6th edition of the José Luiz Setúbal Communication Award, an initiative of the José Luiz Setúbal Foundation managed by the Healthy Childhood Future Institute – Infinis, the Foundation’s philanthropy and advocacy front, with technical support from PonteAPonte. Held annually, the award recognizes and encourages the production of journalistic and communication works on child and adolescent health, valuing evidence-based content with an accurate, humanized, and accessible approach for the public.
The total prize amount is R$ 97.2 thousand, distributed among first and second-place winners in the categories of 1. text, 2. audio, 3. video and 4. social media for communication professionals and content producers, as well as 1. text and 2. audio for university students. Since the previous edition, the initiative has also included a popular vote, in which the public can participate in choosing the best works among the finalists, expanding the reach and recognition of the productions.
Submitted works undergo technical evaluation and are judged by a specialized and diverse jury, which considers criteria such as thematic relevance, content quality, information accessibility, and creativity.
In 2025, the award received 241 applications from all regions of the country, reinforcing its position as an initiative with national reach and a diversity of formats. The winning works addressed themes such as mental health, food security, and indigenous childhoods.
“With each new edition of the Communication Award, we reinforce the fundamental role of science and quality information in promoting child and adolescent health. Valuing content based on data and evidence is essential to qualify public debate and drive concrete progress in guaranteeing the rights of children and adolescents,” says Dr. José Luiz Setúbal, president of the José Luiz Setúbal Foundation.
“More than recognizing good productions, the José Luiz Setúbal Communication Award contributes to giving visibility to relevant themes for a healthy childhood and adolescence that need to be in the public debate with quality information and approach. The initiative strengthens existing agendas and drives the construction of new responses to the contemporary and structural challenges of such a diverse and unequal country,” highlights Márcia Kalvon, executive director of Infinis.
About the José Luiz Setúbal Communication Award
Created in 2021, the José Luiz Setúbal Communication Award aims to value journalism and content production as instruments of social transformation in the field of child and adolescent health. The initiative recognizes evidence-based productions that broaden the public debate on structural themes such as mental health, nutrition, violence, and inequalities, translating complex issues in an accessible way. Throughout its editions, the award has consolidated itself as a national reference, gathering works from different regions of the country and recognizing the diversity of formats and profiles of communicators, including professionals, students, and content creators.
Information:
José Luiz Setúbal Communication Award – 6th edition
Applications: April 28 to July 8, 2026
Target audience: journalists, communicators, content producers, organizations, and university students (with faculty guidance).
Categories:
- Professionals: Text, Audio, Video, and Social Media
- Students: Text and Audio
Prize amount: R$ 97,200.00, as follows:
• R$ 12,500.00 for the winning professionals and R$ 5,500.00 for second place in the four categories (text, audio, video, and social media);
• R$ 8,400.00 for the winning university students and R$ 4,200.00 for second place (distributed between students and their faculty advisors) in the two categories (text and audio).
Applications and information: José Luiz Setúbal Communication Award Website