The 2026 Joven Canarias Awards distribute 18,030 euros among five winners

The Department of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood and Families of the Government of the Canary Islands has granted the 2026 “Joven Canarias” Awards to five entities and individuals, in the “8 Islands”, Collective, and Individual categories and their respective runners-up. The decision is formalized through the Order of September 9, 2026, signed by the counselor María Candelaria Delgado Toledo, and is published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (BOC) no. 198, of October 2, 2026, in section III. Other Resolutions, with the official reference 3403.

Five winners in three categories

The Jury’s ruling, recorded in the minutes of the session on August 27, 2026, proposes to the head of the Department the granting of the awards to the following entities and individuals:

• 2026 “Joven Canarias” Award, “8 Islands” category, to the Unión de Estudiantes de Canarias (UDECA) of Tenerife.
• 2026 “Joven Canarias” Award, “Collective” category, to the Asociación educativa NOpor Onsex of Gran Canaria.
• Runner-up for the 2026 “Joven Canarias” Award, “Collective” category, to the Asociación de Personas con Discapacidad de Lanzarote (ADISLAN).
• 2026 “Joven Canarias” Award, “Individual” category, to Ms. Cristina Martel Martín, from Lanzarote.
• Runner-up for the 2026 “Joven Canarias” Award, “Individual” category, to Ms. Sabah Oualit Quensi, from Tenerife.

The “8 Islands” category is awarded to a public administration or a public or private law entity to recognize relevant trajectories and actions of a social, cultural, artistic, scientific or sporting nature, or entrepreneurship in favor of Canarian youth. In addition to the accrediting diploma, this award includes a bronze figure with a stone pedestal from the quarries of the municipality of Arucas (Gran Canaria). The Collective and Individual categories and their runners-up also include an accrediting diploma.

A jury chaired by Almudena Díaz Castro

In accordance with article 6.1 of Decree 203/2000, of October 23, the Jury for this edition was composed of the following people:

• Mr. François Moreno Hernández, graduate in Law from the University of La Laguna and holder of a master’s degree in Administrative Management from the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón.
• Ms. Mirian Núñez Alonso, diploma in Tourism from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) and program technician at the Fundación Canaria de Juventud Ideo.
• Ms. Carla Soto García, president of the ALTIHAY Fuerteventura Colectivo LGTBI+ de Canarias.
• Mr. Moisés David García Castro, graduate in Communication from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and co-founder president of the Escuela de Cine Secuencia 27-La Farola Films.
• Ms. Claudia Álamo Díaz, founder of Amorseco Crea & Produce.
• Ms. Almudena Díaz Castro, president of the Asociación Activoz, who chaired the Jury.
• Ms. Mónica Darias Alonso, degree in Pedagogy from the University of La Laguna (ULL).

Through Resolution No. 122/2026, dated May 26, 2026, issued by the Director General of Youth, Mr. Daniel Morales García, Mr. Manuel Ortego Sánchez was appointed as secretary of the Jury and Mr. Sebastián Gregorio Suárez Montesdeoca as alternate secretary.

Amounts and regulatory framework

The call for applications was based on Order No. 422, of April 27, 2026 (BOC no. 95, of May 19, 2026), which established the guidelines, and on Article 22 of Law 2/2023, of March 1, on Youth Policies of the Canary Islands, which provides for the annual call for these awards. The amounts for this financial year total 18,030.36 euros:

• “8 Islas” Awards, Collective and Individual: 12,020.24 euros, at a rate of 4,006.74 euros for each category.
• Honorable mentions (Accésits) for the Collective and Individual awards: 6,010.12 euros, at a rate of 3,005.06 euros per honorable mention.

Deadlines and means of appeal

The Order exhausts the administrative route; therefore, a contentious-administrative appeal may be filed against it before the Contentious-Administrative Chamber of the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands, based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, within two months from the day following its notification. Optionally, interested parties may file a request for reconsideration (recurso de reposición) before the Ministry of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood and Families within one month, in accordance with Articles 123 and 124 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, and Law 29/1998, of July 13.

The recognition of UDECA, NOpor Onsex, ADISLAN, and the two individual winners reinforces the role of the youth associative fabric of the islands and provides institutional support to trajectories of social, educational, and entrepreneurial work within the scope of Canarian youth.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 198, of October 2, 2026, section III. Other Resolutions, pp. 35832-35834 (official reference: 3403).