Egyptian writer and media professional Mohamed Monier has been selected as a member of the International Emmy® Awards judging panels for 2026, as part of the Semi-Final Round of Judging hosted by Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for the fifteenth consecutive year, with the participation of a distinguished group of leading media and entertainment experts from around the world.

Mohamed Monier’s selection comes alongside a group of prominent directors, producers, actors, and international experts responsible for evaluating television productions competing in one of the International Emmy Awards categories, according to rigorous professional standards supervised by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Participants in the Semi-Final Round

In addition to writer and media professional Mohamed Monier, the judging round included a distinguished group of leading specialists and experts from the media and entertainment sector, including director Adel Adeeb, actor Monther Rayahneh, actress Manal Salama, producer and actress Mayssa Maghrebi, media personality and actress Mahira Abdel Aziz, actor Qais Sheikh Najib, producer Jean Charles, actor Gulshan Grover, actress Amal Mohammed, as well as a number of executives, experts, and industry professionals from around the world.

The experts evaluate the participating productions within one of the award categories under the supervision of a representative of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Mohamed Monier: If Drama Is Humanity’s Universal Language, Then the Emmys Celebrate Those Who Have Mastered Speaking It

Mohamed Monier, writer, media professional, and member of the International Emmy Awards judging panels for 2026, said that drama has always been and continues to be one of the most influential forces in shaping human consciousness because it does not address the mind alone but reaches directly into the human soul.

He added that while peoples may differ in their languages, cultures, and histories, they always meet around a good story that truthfully expresses the human experience.

He explained that the greatest dramatic works are not merely those that achieve high viewing figures, but those that remain present in memory and leave a lasting impact on the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. True drama does not merely reflect reality; it helps people contemplate and rediscover it, giving them the ability to see life from new perspectives that would otherwise remain unseen without the power of storytelling and the beauty of narrative.

Monier further stated that drama today has become one of the most important tools of dialogue between civilizations and cultures, and that outstanding productions are capable of building bridges of understanding and empathy among peoples more effectively than many political or cultural discourses.

He pointed out that the world is living through an era in which technology is advancing rapidly and patterns of communication are changing at an unprecedented pace, yet the need for authentic human stories remains constant and may even be more important than ever before. Human beings, regardless of changing mediums, continue to search for stories that resemble them and express their hopes, fears, and dreams. For this reason, drama remains one of the most enduring and influential forms of artistic expression across generations.

Regarding the importance of the International Emmy Awards, Mohamed Monier said that these awards represent far more than a competition among television productions; they constitute a global celebration of excellence, creativity, and the ability to present stories of profound human and artistic value.

He emphasized that the prestigious status enjoyed by the International Emmy Awards is the result of decades of commitment to the highest professional standards in evaluating television productions from around the world, noting that the awards have become an international platform where the finest creative experiences converge to affirm that quality, innovation, and artistic integrity are the true measures of success.

He added:

“If drama is humanity’s universal language, then the Emmys are the global celebration of those who have mastered speaking that language. Participation in the judging panels therefore represents a significant professional responsibility, as it provides an opportunity to contribute to honoring productions that enrich the global television landscape and add genuine value to human culture.”

Writer and Media Professional Mohamed Monier

Mohamed Monier is one of the leading journalists at Al-Ahram, one of the most prominent and respected newspapers in the Arab world. He is also a member of several Arab and international organizations, including the International Organization of Journalists affiliated with the United Nations, the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, the Dubai Press Club, the Arab Journalists Union, a founding member of the International Federation of Arab Aviation Writers, and a member of the Environmental Tourism Committee of the Egyptian Federation of Tourism Chambers.

He has received numerous awards and honors, including the First Journalism Excellence Award from the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate; the Media Excellence Shield from the Cairo International Radio and Television Festival as Best Television Program Writer for the years 1996, 1997, and 1999; the Zagazig University Media Festival Shield in 1996; the Egyptian Universities Youth Shield in 2001 and 2003; and recognition from the renowned television program Al-Afdal presented by prominent Egyptian broadcaster Tarek Allam as Best Media Personality.

He received the “Arab Journalism Oscar” Award for Best Journalistic Interview in 2005 from His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, for a series of interviews published in Al-Ahram under the title The Prisoner. These interviews are considered an important historical document as they reflect the experiences of contemporary political detainees, the reasons for their imprisonment, the organizations to which they belonged, and the extent of their disagreement with the Egyptian authorities since the beginning of the 1952 Revolution. The work represents a unique experience in Arab journalism. Mohamed Monier also received the First Journalism Excellence Certificate for Best Journalistic Interview in 2005 for the same series.

His journalistic work was selected as a case study in a doctoral dissertation entitled Creativity in Journalistic Writing, prepared by Dr. Hossam Mohamed Elhami Ali, Assistant Lecturer in the Journalism Department at Akhbar Al Youm Academy. The study included selected works by leading writers and journalists from Egypt and across the Arab world.

He has authored several books and publications, including The Prisoner, a collection of interviews with political detainees among writers and intellectuals; Political Prisoner, addressing political detention in the Arab world; and The Artist of the People, about the late artist Youssef Wahbi, published in six volumes.

International Emmy Awards

The International Emmy Awards are the world’s most prestigious recognition for television programs and series produced and broadcast outside the United States. The awards are presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS), headquartered in New York City.

The awards were established in 1973 to honor excellence in global television production. They differ from local or national Emmy Awards, which are exclusively dedicated to American television productions.

The judging round hosted by Pyramedia Group represents a pivotal stage in the International Emmy Awards process, during which entries from around the world undergo a rigorous and confidential evaluation by specialized judging panels.

The final nominees are scheduled to be announced in September, while the International Emmy Awards ceremony will take place in New York City on November 23, 2026.

Through its annual International Emmy Awards® ceremony held in New York, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honors excellence in television programming produced outside the United States.

The awards encompass multiple categories, including Drama, Comedy, Documentary, Children’s Programming, News, Entertainment Programming, Acting Performance, and Short-Form Series, in addition to the Directorate Award and the Founders Award.

The Academy’s membership includes leading television professionals from more than 60 countries worldwide. It also organizes professional events, forums, and networking opportunities that promote the exchange of expertise among industry professionals at the international level.