The Monte-Carlo Television Festival is held every year in June in the

Principality of Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque dialect, Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riv ...

at the

Grimaldi Forum The Grimaldi Forum in Monaco is a conference and congress centre located on the seafront of Monaco's eastern beach quartier, Larvotto. Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra regularly perform there. This is also th ...

, under the Honorary Presidency of H.S.H.

Prince Albert II of Monaco Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005. Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...

. The opening ceremony inaugurates each new edition, introducing the jury members overseeing each project in competition. The evening includes a preview screening of a television program. Open to the public, the festival also offers opportunities to meet international stars, attend TV series "behind the scenes" conferences, public screenings and autograph signing sessions. The Golden Nymph Awards Ceremony, reveals the winners of the best in TV programming from around the world in front of an audience of more than a thousand guests.

History

By creating the Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo in 1961, Prince

Rainier III of Monaco Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...

, wished to "encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men". Monaco's international status ideally suited the Prince's ambition: to recognize television as an exceptional means of bringing cultures together and enhancing their respective knowledge. The project generated worldwide interest and, over the years, many distinguished celebrities have sat on the juries, bringing international recognition to the best of television programming. However, The Monter-Carlo Television Festival is above all, since the 1980s, a very important opportunity for business, a huge international market."Télé-Babel",

Jean-Pierre Thiollet Jean-Pierre Thiollet (; born 9 December 1956) is a French writer and journalist. Primarily living in Paris, he is the author of numerous books and one of the national leaders of the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions (CEDI), a ...

, ''

Le Quotidien de Paris ''Le Quotidien de Paris'' was a French newspaper founded in 1974 by . Along with ' and ', ''Le Quotidien de Paris'' made up the (Daily Press Group) which employed over 550 individuals," Philippe Tesson : « Mes trois critères d'appréciation » " ...

'', 12 February 1982. Prince Albert II has been the Honorary President of the Festival since 1988. The best of worldwide television programming has been rewarded with Golden Nymph statuettes, copies of the "

Salmacis Salmacis ( grc, Σαλμακίς) was an atypical Naiad nymph of Greek mythology. She rejected the ways of the virginal Greek goddess Artemis in favour of vanity and idleness. Mythology Ovid's version Salmacis' attempted rape of Herm ...

" nymph by the Monegasque sculptor François Joseph Bosio (1768–1845), chief court sculptor to Louis XVIII, the original of which is on show at the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

The Golden Nymph Awards

The Golden Nymph Awards are among the most prestigious prizes in international television, rewarding the best TV programs and actors. Over the course of the festival, an international jury of leading actors and industry professionals attend screenings of all the programs in competition.

Categories and awards

Fiction

The Fiction category is composed of TV series, films and mini series. Six awards are made: * Best Film * Best Series * Best Creation * Best Actress * Best Actor * Jury Special Prize (the very favourite programme of the Jury)

News

The News category refers to programs that cover international, national, regional and local news or current affairs events. Four awards are made: * Best News Coverage * Best News Documentary * Best Documentary Film * Jury Special Prize (the very favourite programme of the Jury)

Prince Rainier III Special Prize

This Special Prize was created by Albert II and is given to a programme selected by him. It is awarded to the best documentary dealing with environmental issues. A prize of €10,000 is awarded to the laureate. The award is made in partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Special prizes

A selection of special prizes are awarded by partner organisations. The winners are selected from among all of the entries made to the Golden Nymph Awards. * The Press Prize of the

International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...

* Prize of the

Red Cross of Monaco The Red Cross of Monaco (french: Croix-Rouge monégasque) is the national Red Cross Society of Monaco, founded in 1948 by Louis II of Monaco in the aftermath of the Second World War. Presidency * 1948 - 1949: Prince Louis of Monaco * 1949 - ...

* The AMADE Prize * The SIGNIS Prize: The Silver Dove