Status: 03/21/2023 12:45 p.m
The satirist Jan Böhmermann receives his sixth Grimme Prize for the “ZDF Magazin Royale”. The sandman is also awarded. There are also several prizes for formats that deal with diversity in society.
It is considered to be the most prestigious award one can receive for a television production in Germany: the Grimme Prize. Two of this year’s prizewinners are the satirist Jan Böhmermann and the sandman.
Böhmermann and his team receive the award for their program “ZDF Magazin Royale”, which combines satire and comedy with investigative research. Böhmermann had established the format in the ZDF main program after moving from the niche channel ZDFneo.
“In-house research and satirical information for a larger audience, which would otherwise only have reached a specialist audience, have become the trademark of ‘ZDF Magazin Royale’,” the jury explained its decision. Böhmermann’s concept is based on a “simple consideration”: In a world in which politicians act “like clowns”, real clowns have no choice but to become political themselves. For Böhmermann it is already the sixth Grimme Prize.
First award for the Sandman
The children’s classic “Our Sandman” receives the trophy for the first time. The award goes to Stefan Schomerus (script/director) and Tine Kluth (animation) for a RBBproduction, which will premiere in June 2022 KiKA was broadcast. The sandman film deals with a so-called recycling vehicle – at the push of a button, something new is created from used and defective things.
“The jury found the modernization of the animation and the focus on the important topic of sustainability particularly successful, which – as always without words – is made comprehensible for children,” says the reasoning. The sandman, who accompanies children to bedtime on television in the evening, is more than 60 years old – in 1959 “Our Sandman” was first broadcast on GDR television. The little man is Germany’s longest-serving children’s television character and survived the Sandman from the west.
Already more than 60 years old – and now awarded the Grimme Prize for the first time: the sandman.
Image: dpa
A total of 16 Grimme Prizes and three special prizes were announced. ZDF did particularly well in 2023. In addition to Böhmermann, the series “Neuland” and the film “Die Wannseekonferenz” were able to convince the jury. The drama “In the Fire – Two Sisters” was also awarded a Grimme Prize. It accompanies a young Bundeswehr soldier in search of her missing sister in Iraq.
Several ARD productions awarded
The Grimme jury awarded the prize for “special journalistic achievement” to the editors of the RBB-political magazine contrasts out of. Her “continuous investigative research on peripheral issues of right-wing radicalism” was recognized.
Several documentaries were also able to get hold of Grimme prizes – including “Atomic Power Forever” (SWR/NDR) and “The story in the first: life after Butscha – trauma and hope” (WDR).
In addition, several formats that deal with diversity in society can look forward to an award. A prize will be awarded to the Netflix streaming service’s “Queer Eye Germany” format, in which queer lifestyle experts want to change the lives of their candidates for the better. “True empathy and sensitivity of expression is a rare commodity in the realm of reality television,” the jury praised the show.
The cabaret artist and actress Maren Kroymann receives the special honor as part of the Grimme Prize.
Image: Radio Bremen
Prizes will be awarded on April 21st
Another prize was awarded to Netflix for the series “KLEO”. The Vox format “Zum Schwarzwälder Hirsch – an extraordinary kitchen crew and Tim Mälzer” was also considered. In the show, TV chef Mälzer makes people with trisomy 21 fit for restaurant operations. The format not only won a Grimme Prize, but also the so-called audience award.
The so-called special honor as part of the Grimme Prize this year goes to the cabaret artist and actress Maren Kroymann. With her work and work, the 73-year-old “stands for the powerful diversity of female identities on German television,” the statement said. “In doing so, she had to live through the hurdles and devaluations of the traditionally male-dominated television culture, which did not discourage her, on the contrary.”
The special honor is a special award given by the German Adult Education Association (DVV) – the founder of the Grimme Prize. According to the statute, it is awarded to personalities who have made outstanding contributions to television.
The Grimme Awards are not linked to money, but are highly regarded by TV people. They have been awarded annually since 1964. The trophies will be presented on April 21 in Marl in North Rhine-Westphalia.