After fifteen years of creative projects, the IMMA Communication Awards celebrated their sixteenth edition on 17 March, receiving twice as many submissions as in 2025 and earning unanimous praise from the jury for a level “far superior” to that of previous years. Open to all students of Journalism, Audiovisual Communication, and Advertising and Public Relations, the competition became a showcase for their personal projects before an audience of students, families, teaching staff and professionals from the communication sector.
Following the direction set last year, the Faculty once again focused the special category on the field of communication and health; this year, the projects aimed to promote the inclusion of people with Down syndrome, with the support of the specialised health agency Malrov. Jordi Mallol, managing partner of Malrov, emphasised the value of continued collaboration, “The creative standard this year is far higher than in 2025 and we greatly appreciate that students increasingly view communication and health as a genuine professional pathway,” he explained. Paula Abella, a student from Universitat Jaume I, repeated her success by winning again with the project No mires, mírame, highlighting the strong interest among her peers in taking part in the IMMA Awards.
A gala presented by the Faculty’s students
Opening with a message to raise awareness of the thirty-five thousand people with Down syndrome in Spain, the gala was moderated by second-year Audiovisual Communication student Mabelle Halatsch and first-year Audiovisual Communication and Journalism student Alejandro Ferrer. The event offered students a unique opportunity to step into the role of genuine communicators and presenters.
During the ceremony held in the Aula Magna, eight awards were presented across the categories of photography; sound and music; fiction and non-fiction production; advertising campaign or brand action; best “Health” campaign; and the UIC Barcelona Values special mention. The latter category recognises projects with a strong emotional, personal and socially committed dimension, and this year the award was shared by students Nicolau Huistra and Sergi Vázquez, from the fourth and second years of Audiovisual Communication respectively.
Isabel Villanueva: “You must speak to people’s hearts”
The new dean for the 2025–2026 academic year, Dr Isabel Villanueva, reminded participants of the real-world impact of their projects, “The distinctive value of storytelling lies in its ability to reach people’s hearts and create impact from a human perspective,” reflected the professional, who is also director of the international music event BIME.
Following a musical performance by second-year Audiovisual Communication students Clara Lerroux and Mireia Sendrós, who performed the well-known Fito & Fitipaldis song Por la boca vive el pez, Isabel Villanueva recalled an anecdote from the 2025 edition of BIME in Bilbao, “Fito came to present his new album and told us that journalists always asked him about this very song, Por la boca vive el pez. And he would always answer that what motivated him to write it was the desire to touch people’s lives,” she noted.
The professional panel for the sixteenth edition was made up of Montse Vidal, communicator and journalist and co-presenter of “Bon dia i bona sort” on Ràdio 4; Miguel Trías de Bes, film and music video director and former student; Alberto Baró, creative director at Odisea Group; and Berta Loran, creative director at Malrov.
Full list of winners of the 16th edition:
- Photography: Hasta tarde. Jaume Marías Beltrán
- Sound and Music: Ryanair. Josmay Sánchez, Aranza Laborie, Sofia Korzhina
- Fiction: Catacumbas. Ricardo Ortea, Xavier Vizuete, Álvaro Requena, Iker Formatjer, David Canela, Ignasi Rivero, Carolina Silva, Ramiro Kosowski, Izan Martínez, Néstor Martínez
- Non-Fiction: Gent de mar. Alba Font Arquès, Marina Germà Rofes, Laia Herranz Randuà, Paula Modrego Morales, Mar Rivière Bofill, Àlex Vergel Esteve, Yolanda Vidal Marcos
- Written journalistic piece: La herida venezolana. Érica Roura Carrera (4th year, Journalism)
- Advertising Campaign or Brand Action: Ray-Ban. Ariadna Orozco Munar
Special Category:
- Ad Salutem Award for the best “Health” campaign, powered by Malrov: No mires, mírame. Paula Abella Tello
- UIC Barcelona Values Special Recognition: Una nova mirada (Sergi Vázquez) and La meva família (Nicolau Huistra)
New UIC Barcelona students wishing to take part in the IMMA Awards will have access to tailored, specialised training: in the 2026–2027 academic year, the Faculty will offer specialisations in Corporate Communication and in Production and Direction within the Bachelor’s Degrees in Journalism and Audiovisual Communication, reflecting its commitment to the profound transformation of the communication landscape.
