Nextcloud Awards 2025: Celebrating those building a sovereign digital future

At this year’s Nextcloud Summit in Munich, we announced the recipients of the Nextcloud Awards 2025. With these awards, we aim a spotlight at individuals and organizations that meaningfully contribute to digital sovereignty – by raising awareness, implementing solutions, or simply setting an example worth following.

The awards were given in two categories: Implementation Role Model and Digital Sovereignty Awareness.

The jury brought together six experts with different backgrounds in technology, policy and research: Max von Thun (Open Markets Institute), Svea Windwehr (Electronic Frontier Foundatin), Aline Blankertz (Rebalance Now), Frank Karlitschek (Nextcloud) and an Editorial team of the Swiss tech policy blog “Das Netz ist politisch” (DNIP) represented by Adrienne Fichter, Patrick Seemann and Marcel Waldvogel. Together, we reviewed a broad range of nominations and selected three winners whose work reflects the values and vision behind these awards.

In the category Digital Sovereignty Awareness, the award was given to two organizations that play a crucial role in shaping public understanding and defending core digital rights.

Digital Sovereignty Awareness: Congratulations to CódigoSur and Signal Foundation

CódigoSur is a Latin American collective supporting civil society actors with privacy-respecting, open-source infrastructure. Their work strengthens digital rights, independent communication and freedom of expression in several countries across the Global South – often under politically challenging conditions but always comitted to Open Source.

“Free Software strengthens our autonomy as users: We are in control of which programs we want to use and when to update them or if we want to sell our data – decisions that private companies make for us when we use their products. In the same way, the use of Free Software strengthens the technological sovereignty of our communities, since we can reuse and adapt the software, written by other people, to our needs”

CódigoSur

The second awardee is the Signal Foundation. In a world where messaging platforms are often designed around data extraction and commercial surveillance, Signal offers a strong and credible alternative. The foundation’s work proves that secure, ethical and open communication infrastructure can operate at scale without compromising on its principles. Max von Thun handed over the award to Martin Bartenberger, Head of Communications Europe at Signal.

Our mission at Signal is to ensure secure, encrypted communication and to protect freedom of expression. We consistently rely on an open source approach, as it is the only way to provide true security, transparency, and independence. Especially in times like these, we believe this is more important than ever. That’s why we are particularly honored to receive this award and see it as confirmation to continue on this path – together with a growing global community.

Martin Bartenberger, Head of Communications Europe, Signal

Schleswig-Holstein voted as Implementation Role Model

In the category Implementation Role Model, this year’s award went to the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. The state government has taken consistent and concrete steps towards digital sovereignty, including the migration of its public administration to open-source tools and the establishment of its own infrastructure. The state sets an example of how digital transformation can be aligned with transparency, independence and long-term responsibility. Sven Thomsen, CIO of Schleswig-Holstein received the award on stage from jury member Patrick Seemann.

When we in Schleswig-Holstein decided to move the state administration toward open source solutions and commit to the path of digital independence, we knew: this journey would be neither short nor easy. But it is necessary — and achievable.

Dirk Schrödter, Head of the State Chancellery and Minister for Digitalisation of Schleswig-Holstein

The recipients of this year’s awards show in very different ways what digital sovereignty can look like – from practical implementation to global advocacy. Their work stands for a broader movement of people and institutions working to reclaim control over digital infrastructure and shape technology in the public interest.

We thank everyone who submitted nominations and especially the jury members for their thoughtful input and time. And above all: congratulations to the winners.