This year, a total of 72 video and 6 photo entries were submitted to the award program launched in memory of Honorka Hégető, a former editor and reporter of RTL who died in a car accident in 2003. The jury granted the award to five entries focusing on issues such as the abuse of the guardianship process in Hungary, climate change and the situation of the transgender community in Hungary.
The main winner of the award was the editorial team of Szabad Európa who received the accolade for a total of 9 short videos. Their reports covered, among other things, abuses of the guardianship process in Hungary, the shady side of battery factories and the invisibility of Ukrainian refugees.
The jury chose three other entries to share second place. The winners of the Hégető Award include András Földes of HVG for his video titled “Climate change on the peaks of the Alps measured not in degrees Celsius, but in ten-storey buildings”.
Three staff members of Telex including Júlia Halász, Dániel Simor and Máté Szilágyi, were also honoured for their report with the parents of students Lili Pankotai, Blanka Nagy and Bíborka Sas, titled “Honey, the kids dissed Fidesz again”.
Balázs Rédli, RTL reporter for the program “Házon kívül”, received the Hégető Award for his report on the situation of the transgender community in Hungary through the lives of two transgender people in their twenties.
The photographers’ Hégető Award went to Krisztina Lettner for her photo series “Life with two extraordinary children”. The photographs show the daily life of Judit, a mother of two, whose sons live with a very rare condition called ATRX syndrome affecting around 600 people worldwide and autism spectrum disorder. Krisztina Lettner took the photos as part of a photojournalism course run by the National Association of Hungarian Journalists.
Yettel’s special prize was awarded to Flóra Chilton, director and editor of Északi Támpont Egyesület for a documentary about the Völgyzugolyház Foundation. The family-like development group for children with severe and multiple disabilities is an inclusive place where children with special needs can spend their school days with a variety of activities, in a peer community and with enthusiastic professionals, while receiving the development they need. Two years ago, Yettel decided not only to reward the creator of the winning video, but also to support the cause that it had brought to light by raising awareness of the irreplaceable work of journalists.
“I am grateful that every year we can honour the best of Hungarian journalists in memory of Honorka Hégető who was committed to raising awareness of the plight of the underprivileged. This year’s winners and all the entries have dealt with issues that cannot be talked about enough,” said Róbert Kotroczó, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hégető Honorka Foundation and RTL News Director.
The entries were evaluated by the jury members, Éva Keleti, Kossuth and Balázs Béla Award-winning photographer, Antónia Mészáros, Executive Director of UNICEF Hungary, János Horvát and Balázs Weyer. Together with Hajnalka Hégető, member of the Board of Trustees of the Hégető Honorka Foundation, the jury members presented the awards to the winners at the headquarters of RTL.
This year, János Horvát will step down as chairman of the jury, a position he has held since 2019. The 2024 jury will be chaired by Ildikó Enyedi, Golden Bear and Balázs Béla Award-winning film director, screenwriter and artist of merit. From the beginning until his death in 2019, the position was held by Balázs Béla Award-winning Hungarian journalist and television personality György Baló.
For the videos awarded please visit: https://rtl.hu/hegetohonorka
The sponsors of the Hégető Honorka Award are RTL Hungary, Yettel Hungary and the Hégető family.
The Hégető Honorka Award was designed by artist Erzsébet Szilágyi.
About the Hégető Honorka Award
RTL established the award in 2003 in memory of Honorka Hégető, who died young in a car accident, to recognise the efforts of journalists, reporters and photojournalists exploring the most pressing social issues of the year and the possible solutions to them through their photos or videos. With this award, RTL would like to pay tribute to the work of a colleague who died young in a car accident and whose reports focused on the plight of disadvantaged people.