The Ministry of Agriculture has launched "MediaField": grants of 5 million rubles for rural bloggers.

      The prize fund of 5 million rubles will be divided into 120 parts, but getting into the finalists is harder than passing the Unified State Exam in mathematics: applications are accepted only until September 30.

      The village goes on air: the Ministry of Agriculture has launched "MediaField" with a prize fund of 5 million rubles.

      The agency is looking for new voices from Russian villages. Money will be awarded not only to professionals from "Russia 1," but also to teenagers with a channel about milkmaids. Moscow, 2026. The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation has announced the start of the application campaign for the National Award in the field of information projects "MediaField." This initiative is a continuation of the state program "Comprehensive Development of Rural Areas," but this year the organizers have radically changed the rules of the game.

      While the award was previously perceived as a competition for boring industry newspapers, now the priorities include YouTube blogs about agritourism, podcasts about farming dynasties, and even memes about rural logistics. The main goal is to break the stereotype of "village = depressive territory" and show that real digital life is boiling beyond the Moscow Ring Road.

      Who can win money?

      Citizens of the Russian Federation over 18 years old have the right to apply, and there is no upper age limit. Three categories of participants have joined the race for certificates:

      - Individual content creators (bloggers, podcasters, videomakers from villages and small towns).

      - Students and young specialists from agricultural and journalism universities (a separate nomination for those without experience in federal media).

      - Representatives of official media (journalists, editorial offices of district newspapers, TV channels).

      An important condition: the project must be dedicated to the Russian village, agricultural labor, local cuisine, folk crafts, or agro-volunteering. Politics, scandals, and negative content will not pass moderation.

      How will the 5 million rubles be distributed?

      The organizers have divided the prize fund in an unconventional way. Instead of one "Grand Prix" with all the money going to one winner, a different path has been chosen:

      - 120 finalists will receive the right to a two-day educational intensive in Moscow in October 2026. Speakers will include editors-in-chief of top media and producers from federal channels.

      - Winners in 5 thematic nominations (from "Best Agro Blog" to "Preserving Traditions") will receive monetary certificates for promotion. The amounts are not disclosed, but according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture's tender documentation, the minimum check is 300,000 rubles, and the maximum is 1.2 million.

      - A pleasant bonus: an excursion to the leading media centers of the country (for example, to the RT studio or the press center of MIA "Russia Today"). There will be no ordinary souvenirs like mugs—only practical knowledge and contacts.

      Deadline and pitfalls

      The application submission will close on September 30, 2026, at 23:59 Moscow time. It is not worth delaying: in the last season, 40% of applications were rejected due to technical errors in the forms or non-compliance with the theme.

      Algorithm of actions:

      - Fill out the form on the official website of the "MediaField" award (search strictly by name to avoid clones).

      - Attach a link to a publication, video, or Telegram channel (the material must be created after January 1, 2026).

      - Write an essay "Why does my project change the life of the village?" — a maximum of 2000 characters without fluff.

      It is recommended to track news about the status of the application in verified communities on "VKontakte" and in the MAX social network—this is where the jury publishes analyses of typical participant mistakes. Independent media managers call "MediaField" the most honest agricultural competition in the country. Why? Because the jury consists not of officials, but of leading experts in the media sphere (chief editors of online media, YouTube producers, and Big Data analysts). They can distinguish inflated views from real audience engagement.

      "Previously, rural bloggers worked for 'likes and thanks,' and their notes in public groups drowned in garbage. Now they have a chance to legally receive a budget for a camera, lighting, and editing. This is a breakthrough," comments Daria Melnikova, an expert on regional media development. "But hurry: September 30 is a real deadline, not a formal one."

      Reference: A complete list of nominations, requirements for competition works, and registration forms are published in the official communities of the award on social networks "VKontakte" and MAX. Participation is free. Age restriction: 18+.

      Yulia Kazamarova

      More news about the event:

      The Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation has announced the start of the application campaign for the "MediaField" award. Applications are accepted until September 30.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has announced the start of accepting applications for the National Award for Information Projects on Rural Themes "MediaField."

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has opened the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award with a prize fund of 5 million rubles.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has opened the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award. Bloggers, journalists, students, and media content creators are invited to participate.

      Journalists and bloggers from Tatarstan can participate in the national media award "MediaField." The competition campaign will continue until September 30 inclusive.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has announced the launch of the "MediaField" competition, a national award for authors covering the life of modern villages.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has started accepting applications for the "MediaField" award.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has launched the "MediaField" award for content creators about the village.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has opened the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award. The competition for information projects on rural themes is held as part of the state program "Comprehensive Development of Rural Areas."

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has launched the "MediaField" award for authors of materials about the village. Bloggers, journalists, and media representatives can submit applications for the "MediaField" award.

      The Ministry of Agriculture has launched "MediaField": grants of 5 million rubles for village bloggers. The prize fund of 5 million rubles will be divided into 120 parts, but getting into the finalists is harder than passing the Unified State Exam in mathematics: applications are accepted only until September 30.

      The village goes on air:

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has opened the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award. The award is implemented as part of the state program "Comprehensive Development of Rural Areas."

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has launched the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award with a prize fund of 5 million rubles.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has opened the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award. The prize fund is 5 million rubles.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has announced the start of accepting applications for the National Award for Information Projects on Rural Themes "MediaField" for bloggers, journalists, and media representatives.

      The Ministry of Agriculture has launched the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award: 5 million rubles for the best projects about the village. Bloggers, journalists, and media representatives whose work is somehow related to the village are invited to participate.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has opened the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has announced the start of accepting applications for the National Award for Information Projects on Rural Themes "MediaField" for bloggers, journalists, and media representatives.

      The Ministry of Agriculture has launched the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award for bloggers and journalists.

      120 finalists of the competition will undergo two days of training with industry experts, visit leading media centers in the country, and compete for a share of the prize fund of 5 million rubles.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has opened the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award. The prize fund is 5 million rubles.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has announced the start of accepting applications for the National Award for Information Projects on Rural Themes "MediaField" for bloggers.

      The Ministry of Agriculture has launched the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award: 5 million rubles for the best projects about the village.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has opened the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has announced the start of accepting applications for the National Award for Information Projects on Rural Themes "MediaField" for bloggers, journalists, and media representatives.

      The Ministry of Agriculture has launched the acceptance of applications for the "MediaField" award for bloggers and journalists.

      News from neighboring regions on the topic:

      A project "MediaField-2026" has started in Russia.

      The Ministry of Agriculture of Russia has opened the acceptance of applications for participation in the national award for information projects on rural themes "MediaField-2026."