Since 2015, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media has been awarding the Theaterpreis des Bundes.
The prize is awarded to theaters in Germany that stand out for their impressive aesthetic and artistic quality. The Theaterpreis des Bundes strengthens creative stages throughout the country—from large cities to rural areas—that create culture, foster identity, and bring open debate to life.
It honors active dialogue with civil society and ideas on how to create new approaches to theater in order to connect with audiences.
In addition, the award recognizes commitment to the development of agile structures and processes as well as exemplary concepts in areas such as sustainability, digitalization, and social cohesion. The focus is also on socio-cultural issues, innovative opening concepts, and forward-looking orientations.
All municipal and state theaters, regional theaters, private theaters, guest performance venues, and production houses for the independent performing arts in the Federal Republic of Germany are eligible to apply for the prize, which was redesigned in 2025.
The Theaterpreis des Bundes is endowed with prize money totaling 500,000 euros and is awarded as a main prize and as awards in three categories. The prize winners undertake to use the prize money for further artistic program work or for improving artistic production conditions.
The Theaterpreis des Bundes is awarded on the recommendation of a jury of experts appointed by the current Minister of State for Culture. The prize is announced annually at the beginning of a new season after the summer break. It is open to the public, so that all interested theaters and ensembles can apply.
The project is organized by the Fonds Darstellende Künste in cooperation with the German Center of the International Theater Institute (ITI).
The Federal Theatre Prize was awarded for the first time in 2015 by the Federal Minister for Culture, since then it was been every two years. A total of 50 theatres were honoured in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024.
Artistic and cultural-political issues that especially concern the work of municipal, state and touring theatres, as well as independent venues in smaller and medium-sized cities, are discussed as part of a symposium held to accompany the award ceremony. > see also Symposium 2023 and Symposium 2024
In 2020, in cooperation with Theater der Zeit, a publication was released that pays tribute to the work of the previous award-winning theatres, while at the same time highlighting the challenges they face on a daily basis.
In the spring and summer of 2022, the traveling exhibition "Dialogue and Confrontation, Transformation and Strengthening - theatre work beyond the metropolitan cities" toured in nine of the eleven award-winning theatres from 2021.