Award of the F.A.Z. 2026 Feature Award

Venue: Ranked Foyer - This evening, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung feature prize will be awarded for the second time, supported by the Deutsches Theater Berlin, Nico Hofmann Film and BetaBerlin Productions. The prize, which will continue to be awarded in memory of Michael Althen, will now be awarded to authors who provide the best answer to an annual prize question in the fields of arts and aesthetics. The price question in 2026 was: Are there national differences in the arts?

The debate is whether the arts (film, theatre, literature, visual arts and so on) have a national character, a peculiar style, or whether we must assume that art per se is always influenced by international influences. What are the arguments for or against the existence of a genuine American film, Japanese architecture, Indonesian painting, or a German way of composing? The winning text will be published in the features section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.