On September 8 and 9, 2026, outstanding achievements in TV and streaming across fiction, entertainment, and information will be honored with the German Television Award in Cologne. As part of the “Night of the Creatives,” the spotlight on Tuesday, September 8, at the Flora in Cologne will be on the award winners in the creative crafts. On Wednesday, September 9, the festive gala will follow, presenting the awards in the program categories as well as the Honorary Award of the Founders. RTL will broadcast the event the same evening in primetime. Nominations and winners are selected by an independent expert jury.
“We are proud and delighted not only to host the ‘Night of the Creatives’ this year, but also, for the first time, to provide the venue for the German Television Award ceremony,” says Gerald Böse, President and CEO of Koelnmesse. The Confex conference and exhibition center, which opened just under two years ago, offers the perfect setting for a glamorous celebration with prominent guests from the creative industries. “There could hardly be a better showcase for this ultra-modern and unique building in Europe than a gala broadcast in primetime,” Böse continues.
Move to an attractive, centrally located venue
The German Television Award is the leading accolade for TV and streaming in Germany. “With a new location, we want to send a visible signal of the continued evolution of the German Television Award this year,” says Inga Leschek, Chief Content Officer of RTL Deutschland and Chairwoman of the Founders of the German Television Award 2026. To underscore this development, the founders and partners have decided to move the TV gala to an attractive venue close to the city center. As a result, the award ceremony will take place at the Confex of Koelnmesse for the first time this year.
In its 100th anniversary year, Koelnmesse opened Confex in 2024 as Europe’s most modern event and congress center. Technologically advanced and forward-looking in terms of sustainability, the new building creates new opportunities for innovative event formats in the region. At the heart of the 20,500-square-meter Confex is the Confex Hall, which can be divided into three sections and accommodates up to 4,300 people. In addition, there are two levels with 22 conference rooms, ranging in size from 27 to 205 square meters, making them suitable for a wide variety of event formats.
Prominent guests and strong media attention
The market response has been very positive: Koelncongress, the marketer of Confex and a subsidiary of Koelnmesse, has bookings and inquiries through the end of 2032. “The first events at Confex began immediately after its opening in summer 2024. Many of the organizers were coming to Cologne for the first time,” says Koelncongress Managing Director Ralf Nüsser. Since then, numerous major events, including multi-day conferences, have been held at Confex, among them the UFI Global Congress of the global exhibition industry association as well as a wide range of medical congresses. “Thanks to its many prominent guests and the significant media attention, the German Television Award gala is certainly one of the highlights of our events to date,” Nüsser emphasizes.