Writer Ana Iris Simón and Puy du Fou España received award for Christianity and Contemporary Culture for highlighting Christian spirituality and humanism in today’s cultural landscape

The Impactun Foundation held submission 2026 award and Contemporary Cultureaward submission on the University of Navarra campus in Madrid. Now in its second year, the award focuses specifically on recognizing initiatives that highlight Christian spirituality and humanism in today’s cultural landscape. The winners were writer and journalist Ana Iris Simón, “for refund the forefront the importance of relationships, family, and faith as pillars of staff identity”; and Puy du Fou España, “for revolutionizing the way our history is told, placing Christian humanism at the center of its proposal.” The ceremony took place as framework the closing ceremony for the 2025–2026 academic year of Master's Degree Christianity and Contemporary Culture at the University of Navarra.

During the event, Luisa González Pérez, a member of the Impactun Foundation’s board of trustees , noted that the foundation owes its name “to our desire to generate a transformative humanistic impact on society” through the training in partnership with the University of Navarra. She also explained that these awards seek to recognize those who, “through the various noble paths of the world, seek to be—through their words and actions—ambassadors of happiness in the service of others.” González further expressed her confidence that the award recipients “will continue to make an impact on the magnificent humanitas.”

In her speech , Ana Iris Simón placed spirituality at the center of some of the most significant cultural phenomena of the past year and asserted that “the major discussion contemporary culture has been, precisely, Christianity.” The writer also reflected on the cultural consequences of an Education from Christian roots and emphasized that many people today are seeking answers to the big questions about the meaning of life. Furthermore, the award winner interpreted the growing interest in faith among young people as a reaction to the lack of spiritual and cultural role models. Quoting Simone Weil, she stated that “the desire for light produces light” and added: “That is what we have been experiencing for years: that people, consciously and often unconsciously, want to see it.” In her view, today’s society may be witnessing “the first steps toward re-enchantment.”

For his part, Jesús Sainz, vice president of Puy du Fou España, thanked the Impactun Foundation and the University of Navarra for granting the award this proposal , stating that this recognition serves as an incentive to “continue showcasing, through beauty and history, the profound mark that Christianity has left on our culture.” Sainz also defended the cultural value of the Christian tradition and asserted that “Christianity is the greatest epic ever told.” In response to those who consider Europe’s Christian roots to be a thing of the past, he stated that “our history cannot be understood without Christianity,” while defending the role of the discipline as tool understanding the present and looking toward the future. The vice president of Puy du Fou Spain concluded by emphasizing the proposal mission statement : “We have contributed, in our own modest way, to making our roots visible once again. To helping Christianity speak once more the language it has always known: that of beauty and hope.”

The Christianity and Contemporary Culture Awards, funded by the Impactun Foundation and judged by a panel composed of members of board of trustees and the University of Navarra, were established with the purpose recognizing individuals and institutions that stand out for meaningfully integrating Christian values into a relevant aspect of contemporary life and culture. The 2026 edition marks the second year of these awards, which aim to become an annual benchmark for highlighting significant contributions to the dialogue between the Christian faith and contemporary culture.