Aftonbladet and Svenska Dagbladet dominated the Newspaper of the Year gala. Four out of nine awards went to Schibsted’s Swedish media houses. SvD, for example, won the title of Editor of the Year, and Aftonbladet’s venture into food, Godare, became the Advertisement Deal of the Year. “Creating well-thought-out solutions where multiple channels are used in a cohesive manner creates great opportunities,” the jury for the ad deal stated in their reasoning.

Newspaper of the Year is Sweden’s most prestigious press gala. The 2024 edition was decided on March 20th, and Aftonbladet and Svenska Dagbladet dominated the evening. Four out of the nine prizes awarded went to SvD and Aftonbladet, respectively.

Advertisement Deal of the Year

Aftonbladet’s acclaimed venture into food, inspiration, and recipes, Godare, won the title of Advertisement Deal of the Year. Godare.se is part of Aftonbladet’s and Schibsted’s food universe and, together with the linear TV channel Godare, provides food inspiration for both everyday and festive occasions – and is now growing across all channels.

– The team behind Godare, Aftonbladet together with our ad organization SMS, has in a short time built their universe into a unique position. Today, it is one of Sweden’s largest food sites, which also has a clear presence with video on social media, a TV channel, and a superb brand. They have succeeded in creating a success for both food-loving readers and advertisers, making them so deserving of this award from the industry,” says Aftonbladet’s editor-in-chief and CEO, Lena K Samuelsson.

The jury pinpoints precisely what has been the Godare team’s ambition in building Aftonbladet’s new food universe:

Creating well-thought-out solutions where multiple channels are used in a cohesive manner creates great opportunities. Here, they have really thought of everything and seen the strength in focusing. High-quality content combined with practical features that interact seamlessly. Who wouldn’t want to be part of this journey as a viewer, reader, or advertiser?

Editor of the Year and Podcast Journalism of the Year

Svenska Dagbladet’s venture into podcasts continues to win awards. The documentary series Dynasty became Podcast Journalism of the Year, and the entire SvD podcast editorial team is the Editor of the Year.

– It’s an exciting sign of the times that a podcast editorial team receives the Editor of the Year award – at a newspaper gala. It says something about the exciting transformation we are in the midst of and that it pays off to break new ground and invest in quality in the way we have done at SvD in recent years,” says SvD’s editor-in-chief and CEO, Lisa Irenius.

And this is what the jury says:

Many newspapers invest in digital audio, but one does it best. Their “podcast-first” approach has given the newspaper a new added value and provided strength to both journalism and business. The daily grind in the podcast factory is topped with award-winning documentaries and has made this small, sharp unit the Editor of the Year.

SvD’s acclaimed documentary series Dynasty, which has previously won awards such as the Grand Journalism Prize, continues to win titles, and now also Podcast Journalism of the Year.

The jury explains the choice like this:

With storytelling on a new level, they pave the way for an entire industry. Towards in-depth podcast series with great narrative joy. Towards a modern audience and new revenues. And above all – with a captivating story about a business dynasty that has changed Sweden.

Innovation of the Year

Aftonbladet also took home the first prize in the Innovation of the Year category for their work in real-time personalizing the site’s front page, providing readers with a better user experience and getting more people to read more – without creating filter bubbles.

The jury’s reasoning:

Finally, we see the effects of intelligent use of technology that gives us readers a better experience but also guides us forward in our reading. It’s good, it works, and it makes us want to come back and read more!”

Fotograph: Sven Lindwall/TU