The deadline for submitting entries for this award, the most important in gastronomic journalism in Spain, will remain open until 30 December 2025. There will be two awards: €4,000 will go to the best journalistic work across all categories and €1,000 to the best academic work submitted by students, with the aim of promoting the values of the journalism profession.
The deadline for submitting entries for the 32nd Álvaro Cunqueiro National Gastronomic Journalism Award, with a total prize fund of €5,000 distributed across two awards, has been announced. The award is promoted by Lalín Town Council in collaboration with the Faculty of Communication Sciences at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Galician gastronomic associations and the Galician Tourism Agency (Xunta de Galicia). This is the most important award for gastronomic journalism in Spain and has a total prize fund of €5,000 distributed across two categories:
1) A prize of €4,000 for the best journalistic work across all categories, which is open to articles published in print media: books, works, publications or research on gastronomy; journalistic works broadcast on radio and television; websites with content dedicated to gastronomy or graphic works (photography, cartoons, etc.) published in print media.
2) €1,000 prize for the best academic work (press, radio, television and web) dedicated to gastronomy and submitted by students of Journalism, Advertising and Audiovisual Communication from all over the country, with the aim of promoting new talent in the journalism profession. Entries must be academically accredited by a teacher from the educational centre.
Entries may be submitted until 30 December 2025, in accordance with the rules of the competition published in the BOPPO on Tuesday, 11 November 2025 and the summary of the rules published in the BOPPO on Monday, 17 November 2025. In any case, if the submission is sent by regular mail, the date on the postmark will be taken into account.
Writers, journalists and individuals who have published articles, books, interviews, reports, cartoons, photographs, comments, etc. in Galician, Spanish or any other language in the various media (press, radio, television, social networks and publications) on topics related to Galician gastronomy in particular and gastronomy in general over the last two years are eligible to take part in the competition. Journalism, advertising and audiovisual communication students who submit their academic work related to gastronomy may also take part.
Winners from previous editions may not be awarded prizes in any of the categories.
Only one work per author may be submitted in each category. The works submitted may be articles, books, interviews, reports, cartoons, photographs, commentaries, etc., written in Galician, Spanish or any other language, published in various media outlets over the last two years. The works must deal with topics related to Galician cuisine in particular and gastronomy in general. The works may not have been previously awarded a prize in any other national or international competition, nor may they have been submitted to any other competition whose decision must be made before the resolution of this call for entries.
Submission of entries via the electronic office or General Registry
Entries must be submitted, either by the author or by third parties or entities, in original copy, via a duly completed and signed general application form through the electronic office of Lalín Town Council (https://lalin. sedelectronica.gal/info.0), indicating on the application form ‘For the Álvaro Cunqueiro Gastronomic Journalism Award’ and the category in which it is competing (journalistic or academic). It must be accompanied by a letter addressed to the Mayor-President of Lalín Town Council with the name, personal details, contact telephone number, including a mandatory statement of compliance with the requirements set out in articles 13.1 and 13.2 of the Subsidies Act (in accordance with Annex I published on the website www.lalin.gal) and the author's CV (and, where applicable, that of the person submitting the work).
The application must state ‘For the Álvaro Cunqueiro Gastronomic Journalism Award’ and the category in which it is competing (journalistic or academic). In the case of books or other media that allow it, they may also be submitted in physical form through the General Registry of the Lalín Town Council (Plaza de Galicia, 1 - 36500 Lalín) by post or in person. However, it is essential and a necessary condition that the physical/paper submission be accompanied by the corresponding digital copy (USB, DVD, CD or similar) or, where appropriate, a download link that allows for effective access to the same.
In the case of physical submissions, six copies of the work must be submitted, as well as a letter addressed to the Mayor-President of Lalín Town Council with the name, personal details, contact telephone number and CV of the author and, where applicable, of the person submitting the work.
A jury, appointed for this purpose and made up of journalists from the Galician media and representatives of the collaborating institutions, will select the entries it considers worthy of the prizes, taking into account their journalistic quality, the promotion of Galician gastronomy and the enhancement of our culture, with reference to Cocido de Lalín being considered an added value.
The jury will meet once all the selected works have been reviewed to issue its decision, which will be announced publicly at a ceremony scheduled for this purpose prior to the celebration of the 58th Cocido Fair.
The Lalín Town Council may require the identification of the winners who, except in cases of sufficiently proven force majeure, must collect their prizes at the ceremony organised for this purpose.
Before proceeding with the payment, the winner must present to the Lalín Town Council Registry a certificate proving that they are up to date with their tax obligations to the Social Security, the State Tax Administration Agency and the Galician Tax Agency. The Town Council will automatically check that the winner is up to date with their tax obligations to the Council itself.
The Council also reserves the right to invite the winners in any of the categories to form part of the jury in the following edition.
The Álvaro Cunqueiro Award is named after the first town crier of the Cocido Fair and has been promoted by the Lalín Town Council since 1993, in collaboration with Galician gastronomic associations, the Galician Tourism Agency and the Faculty of Communication Sciences of Santiago de Compostela, to recognise the work of journalists and writers as promoters of Galician cuisine.
Link to the rules and summary of the rules published in the BOPPO:
https://boppo.depo.gal/web/boppo/detalle/-/boppo/2025/11/11/2025073813
Excerpt from the rules:
https://boppo.depo.gal/web/boppo/detalle/-/boppo/2025/11/17/2025074669
