Directors reject Grimme award in protest
Two directors rejected the Grimme Online Award in protest over the revocation of an honor for activist Judith Scheytt. The funding association's decision sparked intense controversy. Grimme head Çiğdem Uzunoğlu admitted a formal error and announced changes.
At the Grimme Online Awards gala on Wednesday evening, directors Moritz Riesewieck and Hans Block demonstratively rejected their award for the documentary 'Eternalyou'. The film examines AI-generated services for fictional communication with the deceased. Their protest targets the revocation of an honor for Middle East activist Judith Scheytt by the independent funding association 'Verein der Freunde des Adolf-Grimme-Preises'.
The association had initially awarded Scheytt for her media-critical engagement with German Middle East reporting. In early September, it withdrew the honor amid criticism and antisemitism allegations. The claims, that Scheytt's Instagram posts systematically distort the Middle East conflict, originated from the Cologne Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation. Scheytt rejected the accusations, and three of the six jury members upheld the award.
On stage, Riesewieck stated: 'We hope for a reflective review so that we can continue to believe in this award. As long as we can't, we place this award here and hope to perhaps meet again someday and truly rejoice then.' Block described the revocation as an attack on jury independence due to external pressure. Several winners had previously returned their awards.
Grimme head Çiğdem Uzunoğlu conceded that the revocation was 'formally a mistake'. The institute had no influence and respects jury independence. She announced an open debate and that the institute would operate without the association, founded in 1989 in Marl. The association's Donnepp Media Award will pause next year.