Congratulations to all winners of KEKS Awards 2026!
After three days filled with seminars, conversations, and new perspectives, we are wrapping up the KEKS Conference 2026 with KEKS Awards. This year’s award winners all demonstrate strength, creativity, and drive. They are an inspiration to us all.
Once again – a huge congratulations to this year’s winners, and an equally big thank you to all the nominees who make a huge difference for young people every day.
🏆KEKS Leader 2026🏆
Mariella Augustsson
Järfälla municipality
“Through a committed, warm, and structured leadership, this person has built a confident and cohesive team and transformed the department into a highly respected partner throughout the municipality. A thorough approach and strong follow‑through consistently generate clarity, quality, and trust. With creativity and forward‑thinking solutions, this leadership inspires others and has earned deep appreciation from colleagues at all levels.”
🏆KEKS European 2026🏆
INEDNET
Information and Education Development Network, Armenia
“With professionalism, dedication, and strive for lasting impact, this winner demonstrates a strong commitment to high-quality international youth work. Through international projects, opportunities are created for empowerment and democratic participation. This while strengthening cross‑border cooperation and promoting inclusion, human rights, and sustainable development. Their work clearly transforms strong values into concrete action and is highly deserving of the award.”
🏆KEKS Youth Service 2026🏆
Boställets mötesplats och QueerSpace
Lund municipality
“This meeting place for young people is a vibrant and inclusive environment that, since its relaunch, has made a strong impact on young people across the region. It offers a safe and inspiring space where young people can be themselves, create, belong, and grow. Through youth‑led activities, a strong music programme, and a vital HBTQIA+ space supported by skilled staff, it creates joy, development, and a sense of community.”
🏆KEKS Youth Worker 2026🏆
Kasper Abrahamsson
Falköpings municipality
“Through a reflective approach, this youth worker supports young people in developing critical thinking, self-awareness, and agency. By using structured methods and thoughtful questioning, young people are encouraged to reflect, take ownership, and find their own solutions. Complex issues are being addressed in accessible ways, creating safe and participatory learning environments with lasting personal and democratic impact.”
🏆KEKS Organisation/municipality 2026🏆
Hässelby-Vällingby
Öppen fritidsverksamhet
“This organisation has not settled for preservation of the status quo but has systematically transformed both the perception and content of open youth work. Through shared goals, unified documentation, continuous follow up, and targeted professional development, they have together built a sustainable youth service. Combined with strong innovative capacity, this organisation demonstrates that genuine development requires courage, direction, and perseverance - setting a model for impactful youth services.”
🏆KEKS Honorary award 2026🏆
Katarina Gorenc
Head of youth department,
Ljubljana Municipality
“Katarina is an exceptional leader and a long‑standing advocate for the development of high‑quality youth work. Her leadership is distinguished by a holistic and context‑sensitive approach that has fostered trust, strengthened collaboration, and enabled continuous improvement across the youth work sector. Through strong engagement in the KEKS network and international cooperation, her work has inspired many and contributed to international recognition of the city’s youth work practices. Driven by expertise, strategic vision, perseverance, and genuine passion, Katarina is a truly deserving recipient of this year’s Honorary Award”.