On 15 October 2026, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia presided over the 75th Planeta awards ceremony at Pavilion 1 of Fira Barcelona’s Montjuïc complex. The winner received €1 million, while the finalist was awarded €200,000. The awards have been presented without interruption since 1952.
Letizia wore a customised black gala dress by Sybilla, paired with earrings from PDPAOLA. Her look stood out among the formal outfits at the Barcelona ceremony.
The 75th edition drew a record 1,424 manuscripts. The jury's initial selection of ten works was reduced to nine after one was withdrawn because it had already been published.
The gala brought King Felipe VI together with former prize recipients and guests from politics and culture. Members of the media also attended. Barcelona has hosted other major events, including the FoodTech 2026 event.
Chilean writer Isabel Allende won the €1 million prize for La hora antes del alba. The novel was described as the second part of a literary line connected to La casa de los espíritus.
The €200,000 finalist prize went to Sergio Hernández Carrasco, a 32-year-old screenwriter from Valencia who specialises in manga. His historical novel, La añoranza, features Barcelona and follows a French translator connected to a plot to assassinate Antonio Machado.
Sonsoles Ónega attended as the 2023 winner. Boris Izaguirre had been a finalist in 2007. Sandra Barneda reached the final in 2020.
Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun attended, along with Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Artur Mas. Raquel Sánchez Silva was also among the guests.
Sánchez Silva wore a burgundy Isabel Sanchís dress from the autumn-winter 2026-2027 collection. The double-crepe design featured a strapless neckline and a voluminous skirt, finished with black feather details and a small high-neck cape.
Ónega chose a midnight-blue velvet suit. Its structured jacket had a high neck, while the wide-leg trousers were paired with silver shoes.
Nieves Herrero also wore dark blue, pairing a satin blouse with a neck bow and flared trousers. A white jacket and black western-style belt completed the outfit.
Espido Freire wore an evening dress by THE 2ND SKIN CO, featuring pleated organza and a tulle bodice. The long pink skirt had a taffeta belt.
Barneda arrived with her wife, Pascalle Paerel, after their wedding the previous weekend. Barneda wore black satin and tulle beneath an oversized structured jacket and carried a Louis Vuitton bag. Paerel paired a white shirt with a long black satin skirt and matching belt.
Helena Rakòsnik i Tomé, Artur Mas’s wife, chose a tobacco-brown jumpsuit with a V-neck and wide belt, topped with a palm-print kimono by Parfois.
Verónica Sanz wore a red Alejandro de Miguel design with pronounced shoulders. The V-neck dress had sparkling crystals on the sleeves.
Atresmedia presenter Mamen Mendizábal wore white, while Helena Resano wore black.
Mónica Carrillo chose a denim outfit by Selected. Matías Prats attended, as did Alberto Chicote. Roberto Leal was also among the guests.
