Hay Festival Medals

Awarded annually since Britain’s Olympic year (2012), and crafted locally by silversmith Christopher Hamilton, the Hay Festival Medals draw inspiration from the original Olympic medal given for poetry.

Hay Festival medals in 2026 are awarded to four world-changing storytellers, honouring exceptional work in drama, education, journalism and poetry:

Jeremy Bowen (Medal for Journalism) is one of Britain's most respected journalists and war correspondents, having written four acclaimed books on Middle Eastern conflict and history, he has served as the BBC's Middle East Editor and won many awards, including the International Emmy, the Peabody Award, the James Cameron Memorial Award, the Sony Gold Award, and the Prix Bayeux Calvados for war reporting. Bowen was BBC Middle East Editor from 2005 to 2022 and is currently the BBC's International Editor, leading the corporation's global conflict reporting.

Michael Rosen (Medal for Poetry) is one of Britain’s best loved children’s authors, poets, and broadcasters, having written over 200 books for children and adults, he has served as Children’s Laureate and won many awards, including the Nestlé Smarties Grand Prize, the Eleanor Farjeon Award, the Fred and Anne Jarvis Award, and the PEN Pinter Prize. Rosen was Children's Laureate from 2007 to 2009 and is currently Professor of Children's Literature at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Emma Thompson (Medal for Drama) is one of Britain’s most celebrated actresses, screenwriters, and authors, having starred in and written numerous landmark films and books, she remains the only person to win Academy Awards for both acting and writing and has won many other accolades, including two Golden Globes, two BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Thompson was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2018 and is currently President of the Helen Bamber Foundation, a human rights charity.

Malala Yousafzai (Medal for Education) is a Pakistani education activist, world-renowned author, and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, having co-authored the international bestseller I Am Malala, she has co-founded the Malala Fund and won many awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, the Sakharov Prize, the Simone de Beauvoir Prize, and the United Nations Human Rights Prize. Yousafzai was named a UN Messenger of Peace in 2017 and is currently the co-founder and Executive Chair of the Malala Fund, a girls' education charity.

HAY FESTIVAL MEDAL RECIPIENTS