Nextcloud Awards 2025

Recognizing those who shape digital sovereignty

Privacy is the foundation of democracy. And yet, digital infrastructure remains largely in the hands of a few powerful actors. While public debate focuses on AI hype and innovation races, much of the real power lies elsewhere: in the platforms we depend on, the standards we adopt, and the decisions we don’t question.

That’s why we’re launching the Nextcloud Awards – and that’s why we launch it now. Digital sovereignty is often treated as a niche concern. Too technical for policy, too political for tech. But the truth is: it’s one of the defining issues of our time. Who controls infrastructure? Who sets the rules? And who benefits from lack of transparency, vendor lock-in and the growing concentration of market power? These are not abstract questions – they affect how societies work, what rights we have, and how resilient our democracies can be.

The Nextcloud Awards honor those who push back. Those who build sustainable solutions, rethink the system, and remind us that digital sovereignty is not just a technical concept, but a democratic necessity.

In 2025, the awards will be presented for the first time at the Nextcloud Summit in Munich. We’re starting with two categories that reflect two essential aspects of the fight for digital sovereignty:

Implementation Role Model: Nextcloud award for digital self determination

This award is for the doers. The ones who turn political ideals into working infrastructure. It honors people and institutions who don’t just talk about independence from Big Tech – but build it.

Whether it’s a public administration switching to open source, a school creating self-hosted learning tools, or a civil society project that refuses to compromise on privacy: this category highlights individuals or organizations who lead by example and show that sovereignty can be implemented – through bold decisions, long-term strategies and a clear commitment to open source. It honors those who turn digital sovereignty into action. An award for pioneers who lead by example and shape a more sovereign digital future.

Special award 2025: Digital sovereignty in times of geopolitical changes

This award highlights those who defend privacy, promote resilience, and raise awareness about digital sovereignty in challenging times. Whether through advocacy, education, journalism, or public policy – this category recognizes the power of voice, values, and visibility in a shifting global landscape. In times of geopolitical uncertainty, this award honors those who advocate for resilient digital infrastructure and sovereign decision-making – not only by informing and educating, but by taking a stand, shaping discourse, and contributing to political and institutional change. Whether through policy, journalism, education or foundation work: this category celebrates organizations or individuals who move the idea of digital sovereignty to public attention.

Meet the jury

An independent jury of digital rights advocates, policy experts, and journalists will review all nominations and select the winners:

Svea Windwehr – Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

As Assistant Director of EU Policy at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Svea Windwehr focuses on European digital policy, particularly platform regulation, user rights, and surveillance. She is also co-chair of D64, the largest non-partisan association for digital policy in Germany, advocating for progressive and democratic approaches to technology.
_{(Photo: Bernhard Leitner)}

Aline Blankertz – Rebalance Now

Aline Blankertz is an economist and Tech Economy Lead at Rebalance Now, where she works on strategies to counter concentrated power in digital markets. She combines years of experience in competition economics with a strong commitment to making markets democratically accountable.

Max von Thun – Open Markets Institute

Max von Thun is Director of Europe and Transatlantic Partnerships at the Open Markets Institute. He coordinates the institute’s European policy work and fosters cross-Atlantic collaboration among advocates for fair competition and democratic oversight of market power. His work focuses on antitrust, digital regulation, and new legislative approaches to limiting the dominance of Big Tech.

Frank Karlitschek – Nextcloud

Frank Karlitschek is the founder and CEO of Nextcloud, the leading open-source platform for digital collaboration. He has been part of the open source community for over two decades, contributing to various free software projects and advocating for self-hosted, privacy-focused technologies. His work centers on strengthening digital independence through open source and trusted infrastructure.

The DNIP Editorial Team

“Das Netz ist politisch” is a tech journalism blog run by a team of computer scientists and journalists. Since 2021, they have been reporting on technologies and their impact on democracy and the rule of law. Their work covers topics such as cybersecurity, digital ethics, privacy, AI and regulation, cloud infrastructure, and digital sovereignty – always from an interdisciplinary perspective combining computer science and political science. In addition to analysis and commentary, the team also conducts original investigations, uncovering security flaws and data leaks in real-world applications. Their goal is to make complex digital issues understandable and relevant for both general audiences and tech-savvy readers. For the Nextcloud Awards 2025, the DNIP jury collective is represented by Adrienne Fichter, Marcel Waldvogel, and Patrick Seemann.

Nominate a changemaker

Do you know a project, organization, or person who’s shaping the future of digital sovereignty?
Nominate them now and help us celebrate those who are making a real impact – beyond the buzzwords.

About Nextcloud

Nextcloud is the world’s most popular privacy-focused collaboration platform. It is used by tens of thousands of private and public organizations and tens of millions of private individuals to stay in control of their sensitive data and ensure privacy compliance.

With Nextcloud, users can edit and share documents, chat and hold videoconferences, and manage emails, contacts and calendars via easy web and mobile apps. The open-source software has a modular design and can be extended with hundreds of apps. It runs in on premises in a private cloud or with a trusted provider.

Founded in 2016, Nextcloud is fully employee-owned and has grown organically ever since. Learn more at www.nextcloud.com.