Coop Revives SwissAward
Coop is bringing back the prize for the Swiss Person of the Year a decade after the SwissAward gala ended, 20 Minuten reported.
Broadcaster SRF ran the SwissAward for 14 years, honoring figures such as pediatrician Beat Richner, tennis players Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, and football coach Köbi Kuhn. Budget cuts forced the broadcaster to cancel the event in 2016. Ten years later, Coop announced it is reviving the recognition.
Online voting opened on November 12 at coopzeitung.ch, replacing the former television televoting format. The nominees include musician Stephan Eicher, Crans-Montana rescuer Gianni Campolo, and author Nelio Biedermann, alongside athletes Audrey Werro and Simone Leuenberger.
“We want to honor people who have done extraordinary things and give them a stage,” Silvan Grütter, editor-in-chief of Coopzeitung, told 20 Minuten about the motivation behind the award.
Prize details and how the jury selects nominees
The winner receives an award and a 10,000-franc prize to donate to a non-profit organization of their choice. Coop announced that it will reveal the winner and the beneficiary of the donation in a major interview in Coopzeitung on December 29, 2026.
A jury selected the nominees based on exceptional achievements in business, sport, culture, science, or medicine. The panel includes Coop-Chef Philipp Wyss, along with representatives from partner organizations of the “Tag der guten Tat,” such as Nora Kronig, Direktorin des Schweizerischen Roten Kreuzes and Fabio Corti, Zentralpräsident des Schweizerischen Turnverbandes.
Additional jury members include Rebecca Veiga, Leiterin Coop-Kommunikation, Christina Egli, Co-Präsidentin Pfadibewegung Schweiz, Pearl Pedergnana, Co-Präsidentin Pro Infirmis, Alexandra Bally, Stiftungsratspräsidentin Schweizer Tafel, and Tatjana von Steiger, Stiftungsratspräsidentin WWF.
How to vote and what the winner receives
How can the public vote for nominees?
Voting takes place online at coopzeitung.ch. The voting period opened on November 12.
What does the winner receive?
The victor receives an award trophy and 10,000 francs to donate to a non-profit organization of their choice.
When will the winner be announced?
Coop will announce the winner and the chosen charity in an interview published in Coopzeitung on December 29, 2026.
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