The Leo Baeck Prize 2026 has been awarded to the comedian, author and television presenter Dieter Nuhr by the Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland. The organisation honoured Nuhr for his outspoken and consistent efforts to combat antisemitism in the media landscape.
The award ceremony took place at the Wilhelm Studios in Berlin. The laudatory address was delivered by psychologist and author Ahmad Mansour.
In his speech, the President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Dr Josef Schuster, stated: “It is not the task of satire to please people. Its task is to confront them, to provoke contradiction, and above all to enable reflection on one’s own position. Dieter Nuhr uses his platform to do precisely this in relation to Israel and Judaism. He consistently exposes the double standards that are often present in the German media on these issues. At a time when antisemitism is becoming normalised, Dieter Nuhr stands with the Jewish community. That makes him a worthy recipient of the Leo Baeck Prize.”
The laudator, Ahmad Mansour, said in his address: “Dieter Nuhr’s art is a rare one: he puts unease into words. He takes the diffuse feeling that many carry but cannot articulate and gives it a language – so precise that audiences not only laugh, but think: that is exactly how it is. That is what I wanted to say. That alone would already be remarkable. But when one looks at the German debate of recent years, the word ‘ability’ is no longer sufficient. One must speak of courage.”
Accepting the award, Dieter Nuhr said: “This prize is something very special. Because it is not being awarded to me as a comedian, but as a person, for my stance against intolerance, against radicalism, against antisemitism. Today we are once again witnessing people going along with the crowd, thoughtlessly joining a group that believes itself morally superior. That is precisely where the space emerges in which evil can unfold. And all we can do is stand up against it, argue – and make jokes.”
Since 1957, the Leo Baeck Prize has been awarded to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Jewish community. The prize, endowed with €15,000, preserves the legacy of Rabbi Leo Baeck. Previous recipients include former Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker (1994), former Chancellor Angela Merkel (2007), former Federal Minister Cem Özdemir (2022), and the chairman of Borussia Dortmund, Hans-Joachim Watzke (2024).
