On the occasion of July 22 – National Press Day and the 151st anniversary of the Azerbaijani national press, the presentation ceremony of the Hasan bey Zardabi Media Award was held at the Azerbaijan Journalists Union (AJU).
elchi reports that the event was attended by the chairman of the Azerbaijan Journalists Union Elchin Shikhli, the chairman of the Press Council of Azerbaijan Rashad Majid, well-known media executives, journalists, public figures, and representatives of the media community.
Opening the event with an introductory speech, AJU chairman Elchin Shikhli spoke about the 151-year honorable development path of the Azerbaijani national press and the unparalleled services of Hasan bey Zardabi in the formation of Azerbaijani journalism and the laying of the foundations of enlightenment traditions. He stated that the Hasan bey Zardabi Media Award is an expression of high appreciation for the work of media representatives who contribute to the development of national journalism, the strengthening of freedom of speech and thought, and the protection of professional journalistic principles.
Chairman of the Press Council of Azerbaijan Rashad Majid spoke about the role of the national press in the development of society, the importance of protecting professional ethical principles, and the significance of journalistic solidarity. He emphasized that the Hasan bey Zardabi Media Award makes an important contribution to the promotion of professionalism in the media community.
We present the list of laureates of the Hasan bey Zardabi Media Award for 2026:
* Alqış Həsənoğlu – for the protection of professional journalism principles and long-term editorial activity;
* Anar Niftəliyev – for his contributions to the development of professional, operational, and independent news journalism;
* Aydın Tağıyev – for his contributions to the promotion of patriotism and Azerbaijanism ideas;
* Elçin Zahiroğlu – for his investigative articles on health and social topics, as well as his successful media management activities;
* Əkbər Qoşalı – for his contributions to the promotion of the national-moral values of the Turkic world and the Turan ideology;
* Günel Habilqızı – for her contributions to the promotion of the unique values of village life and national-cultural heritage through the “GünEllə səyahət” and “Orda bir kənd var” projects on AzTV;
* Hüseynbala Səlimov – for his long-term fruitful activity in the field of analytical journalism and political publicism;
* Xanım Xatun – for her contributions to regional television journalism and the promotion of national-moral values;
* İlham Tumas – for his contributions to the development of investigative journalism and author television projects;
* İqbal Məmmədəliyev – for his activities in the field of regional television journalism, television production, and documentary filmmaking;
* Murat Akkoç – for his activities in conveying the truths about Karabakh and Azerbaijan’s national interests to the international audience;
* Mübariz Yunus – for his contributions to the development of the “Füyuzat” magazine and the enrichment of enlightenment publicism;
* Nicat Abdullayev – for building open and transparent relations with the media, as well as his innovative activities in the field of public relations;
* Oktay Hacımusalı – for his contributions to the development of analytical publicism and cooperation among the media of the Turkic world;
* Zərnişan Turan – for the promotion of the common heritage of the Turkic world through the “Turan” programs.
Also, two people – Sənubər Səhər and Səfurə Çərkəz qızı were awarded honorary diplomas.
At the end of the event, the diplomas and commemorative badges of the Hasan bey Zardabi Media Award were presented to the laureates, and a commemorative photo was taken.