The global digital preservation community came together in Warsaw today as the winners of the Digital Preservation Awards 2026 were revealed at a celebratory ceremony co-hosted by the No Time to Wait (NTTW) Conference and the National Film Archive – Audiovisual Institute (FINA), recognizing outstanding contributions to securing our digital legacy for future generations.
Organised by the Digital Preservation Coalition and introduced by the Chair of Judges Sonia Ranade of The National Archives (UK), the event celebrated the achievements of individuals and organisations who have made significant and innovative contributions to creating a sustainable future for our digital assets.
Speaking about the 2026 nominations, Sonia Ranade said:
“This edition's finalists reveal a digital preservation community which is growing in confidence. Digital preservation is no longer viewed solely as the protection of files and systems: it is increasingly a means of preserving knowledge, evidence, memory and cultural value for future generations. The judges were particularly encouraged by the way finalists are embracing new technologies, strengthening resilience, expanding access and building international partnerships.
Together, these projects demonstrate a global community that is innovative, outward-looking, and determined to ensure that our digital legacy remains both secure and meaningful."
The first award of the evening, the International Council on Archives Award for Collaboration and Cooperation, went to From Basement to Citizen. Developed by Digital Archives Flanders, the project has created an integrated approach to the digitisation, preservation, and public access of environmental permits, securing records of lasting legal, administrative, and societal value.
Bringing together digital preservation and biotechnology, An OAIS-compliant archiving platform with DNA connector within OLOS was selected for the National Library and Archives Board Singapore Award for Research and Innovation. The judges were impressed by its innovative integration of DNA storage into a digital preservation platform and its potential to offer durable, low-energy storage for digital information.
For the judges, few projects demonstrated the power of creative communication more effectively than Digital Ghosts – Visualising Scotland's Web Archives, winner of the KB National Library of the Netherlands Award for Teaching and Communications. Through imaginative visualisations and artistic interpretation, the project makes web decay, digital loss and the hidden work of preservation understandable and visible to public audiences.
The DPC Award for Most Outstanding Student Work in Digital Preservation was awarded to Manuela Pallotto Strickland of Aberystwyth University for Preserving 'Research Objects' – Challenges and Requirements. Her dissertation highlights a significant but under-recognised preservation risk and offers practical insights that could help safeguard increasingly complex and executable research outputs in the future.
Videogame preservation took centre stage in the Research Data Alliance Award for the Most Outstanding Digital Preservation Initiative in Commerce, Industry and Third Sector. The winning GOG Preservation Program was recognised for its long-standing commitment to ensuring that older games remain playable and accessible on modern hardware.
Among the evening's most poignant winners was Archive of Personal Testimonies: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine, recipient of The National Archives (UK) Award for Safeguarding the Digital Legacy. The project preserves firsthand civilian accounts of the conflict, ensuring these experiences remain available as evidence, memory and a historical record.
New for 2026, the APTrust Award for Resilience, Maintenance and Continuity shines a spotlight on the often-unseen work required to sustain digital preservation infrastructure. Its inaugural recipient, PRONOM Refresh, recognised the dedication of Sam Palmer, Steve Daly and Andrew Hosgood, who delivered a major refresh of the PRONOM file format registry alongside their many other professional commitments.
The evening concluded with the presentation of the DPC Fellowship Award to Kevin Ashley, honouring nearly three decades of leadership and advocacy in digital preservation. A founding director of the DPC, Kevin has helped shape the field through pioneering work on national digital archiving, professional training, and research data management, leaving a legacy that has influenced practitioners around the world.
Full list of 2026 Digital Preservation Award Winners:
- International Council on Archives Award for Collaboration and Cooperation
From Basement to Citizen: An Integrated Approach to the Digitisation, Preservation and Access to Environmental Permits - National Library and Archives Board Singapore Award for Research and Innovation
An OAIS-compliant archiving platform with DNA connector within OLOS - KB National Library of the Netherlands Award for Teaching and Communications
Digital Ghosts – Visualising Scotland's Web Archives
- DPC Award for Most Outstanding Student Work in Digital Preservation
Preserving 'Research Objects' – Challenges and Requirements by Manuela Pallotto Strickland - Research Data Alliance Award for the Most Outstanding Digital Preservation Initiative in Commerce, Industry and Third Sector
GOG Preservation Program - National Archives (UK) Award for Safeguarding the Digital Legacy
Archive of Personal Testimonies: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine - APTrust Award for Resilience, Maintenance and Continuity
PRONOM Refresh - DPC Fellowship Award
Kevin Ashley
The DPC would like to thank all sponsors for their continued support in ensuring the Digital Preservation Awards can continue to recognise and celebrate achievements in the field of digital preservation. For a full list of finalists and for more information about the Digital Preservation Awards, visit: https://dpconline.org/events/digital-preservation-awards