For storytellers who are using their talents to change the world…

We are thrilled to partner with the New York Festivals (NYF) TV & Film and Radio Awards on a new honor: The JusticeAid Award recognizes the highest-scoring entry across all Social Justice categories in the competition, including news programs and reporting, interviews, documentaries, entertainment programs (live action and animated), and student entries.

The 2026 award was announced on May 22nd at the NYF Storytellers Gala. Congratulations to documentary film, My Father’s Hair: A Family’s Pursuit of Justice, an intimate portrait of a young woman reclaiming her voice, and of the fragile but determined forms of resistance led by women in a society where tradition, caste, and violence continue to shape the lives of millions. From France, Keyi Productions on ARTE, directors Abhjijeet Pande and Antoine Wedeyer

The winning entry in 2025, the JusticeAid Award’s inaugural year, went to Disney+Spain.

About the film:

Three years ago, 17-year-old Kinjal, a member of the Dalit community – a group considered “untouchables,” who occupy the lowest social status, at the bottom of the caste system — was raped by the son of a landowner from a higher caste.

To cover up the incident, the rapist’s family offered Kinjal’s parents land and 100,000 euros – a fortune. But Kinjal’s father rejected the compromise, preferring to take the case to court.

This rare act of courage was considered an affront by the higher castes.

For six months, a camera crew accompanied Kinjal and her family in their search for justice. The film offers a glimpse behind the scenes in India, where the violence of the caste system and the weight of tradition determine the lives of hundreds of millions of women.

The New York Festivals TV & Film Awards honor storytellers around the world and across all platforms with entries that mirror today’s global trends and encourage the next generation of creators and talent. Compelling in subject matter, ambitious in scope, and off the charts in the degree of difficulty, they flat out amaze.

See the highlights reel from the 2025 NYF competition.