Goldbach Crossmedia Audience Award: What's behind the winner

When the Förderverein für Kinder mit seltenen Krankheiten (KMSK) was announced as the winner of the Goldbach Crossmedia Audience Award 2026 on the evening of April 16, 2026, there was a brief moment of silence. Disbelief. And then: great emotion.

It was one of those rare moments that stay with me. A moment of pause - and a deep affirmation of why this work is so important. The award went to the cross-media campaign «Du bisch mir wichtig - Herzenssong über Geschwisterliebe», which focuses on an often overlooked perspective: the siblings of children with rare diseases.

Focus on invisible heroes

«You often don't see them - the siblings of children with rare diseases. And yet they are always there. Silent. Strong. And full of love.» The campaign began with these words. It tells of children who learn early on to take a back seat, to keep up and to take responsibility. Children who provide support - day after day - and yet whose reality often remains invisible.

With «Du bisch mir wichtig» ("You are important to me"), the Förderverein has made precisely this world visible. Quietly, honestly and without staging. The focus is on the two affected girls Mia and Nyah and their siblings Amelia B., Amelia G. and Tara - representing thousands of children and families in Switzerland who achieve extraordinary things every day. The result is more than just a music video. More than a campaign. It is a feeling. A movement.

Audience award with special significance

The Audience Award has a special significance: it comes directly from the people. From those who looked, listened and empathized. A total of 30 campaigns were up for selection - including entries from well-known companies such as Migros, Unilever, AXA, Brack and Swiss.

Around 350,000 children and young people with rare diseases live in Switzerland. Since its foundation on February 20, 2014, the association has been committed to making the reality of their lives visible and providing concrete support to affected families. What began as a heartfelt vision has now become a place of hope - a place that provides support when life begins to falter. This is made possible by people who look, empathize and actively support.

«This prize doesn't belong to us,» says founder and Managing Director Manuela Stier. «It belongs to the families. To the children. The siblings. They show us every day what really matters.»

Signs of genuine attention

Winning the Audience Award is therefore much more than just an award. It is a sign that people are willing to look. That they listen. And that they allow themselves to be touched. Because that is exactly what families with children with rare diseases need: Not just support on paper - but real understanding, real attention and real recognition.

On behalf of the affected families in Switzerland, the association says: Thank you. For every vote. For every support. And for every look.

Touching feedback from an affected mother

«Dear Manuela, congratulations on this incredibly well-deserved win! Your words go straight to the heart, so much truth, so much feeling and so much strength! When you see the pictures and read your words, you can immediately feel how much passion, truth and genuine love has gone into this project.»

«As a family that has been affected ourselves, this hits us particularly hard because you make visible exactly what so often happens in silence. You are there for us, you see us where others don't, even when we as families call out for support. YOU ARE OUR VOICE!»

«The siblings... they carry so much without being loud. And giving them a voice is something incredibly valuable. Thank you for looking. Thank you for making it tangible. And thank you for not forgetting families like ours.»