The organizers of the Pope's visit to Spain and Llamados 2026, ReL Awards

The 9th Religion in Freedom Awards will recognize five stories this year. At a gala on October 8th, ReL will honor the organizing committee of Pope Leo XIV's visit to Spain, the Llamados 2026 event, Puy du Fou España, the song and recording of "(Tú) El único Rey" (You) The Only King, which the Pope and thousands of people heard in Madrid and Barcelona in June, and the broadcaster René ZZ.

The ceremony will take place in the Auditorium of the CEU San Pablo University (c/ Julián Romea, 23, Madrid) on Thursday the 8th, at 7:30 pm, and will bring together representatives of the Church, culture, communication and various evangelization initiatives.

The Religion in Freedom Awards They are convened by the New Evangelization for the 21st Century Foundation, publisher of the digital newspaper Religion in Freedom, with 19 years of experience, in collaboration with the Ángel Herrera Oria Cultural Foundation. They were created to publicly recognize individuals, institutions, and initiatives that contribute significantly to evangelization and the presence of the Christian faith in society.

Five awards, five stories

The Special Award of the Year It will be awarded to the Organizing Committee of Leo XIV's trip to Spain, which took the Pontiff, from June 6 to 12, to Madrid, Barcelona, Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

Over six days, 21 events were held, with more than 2.5 million people participating, thanks to the collaboration of over 25,000 volunteers. The recognition is directed to the four dioceses that hosted the Pope and to the Spanish Episcopal Conference.

The New Evangelization Award falls on Calls 2026, The gathering, which took place on January 12th, brought together more than 6,000 people at the Movistar Arena in Madrid. Music, testimonies, and prayer culminated with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and thousands of people standing in silence in one of the capital's major concert venues.

Also Puy du Fou España, (You) The Only King, and René ZZ

The Arts of Image Award The award went to Puy du Fou España, which has welcomed over six million visitors since opening in Toledo in 2021. The jury particularly recognized its ability to bring Spanish history to a wider audience while also showcasing its Christian roots.

The Catholic Music Award The project “(You) The Only King” is recognized, an initiative that has brought together some 120 voices and nearly twenty Catholic music groups from all over Spain. The song, presented on the Solemnity of Christ the King in 2025, was also performed by large crowds during Leo XIV's visit to Barcelona.

Finally, The Audacity Before the World Award It will be awarded to René ZZ (René Ponte), a content creator and tattoo artist who has nearly two million followers on his social networks and who in recent years has begun to speak publicly about his conversion and his Christian faith to an audience mostly removed from Catholic circles.

The 9th Religion in Freedom Awards will take place on October 8th at the Auditorium of the CEU San Pablo University (c/ Julián Romea, 23, Madrid).