The SBS6 reality game series De Bondgenoten has won the Gouden Televizier-Ring 2026, the Dutch television prize chosen by viewers. Its presenter, Jan Versteegh, also won the Televizier-Ring for best presenter, according to NOS.
What happened
NOS reports that the main prize of the evening, the Gouden Televizier-Ring, went to De Bondgenoten, a reality game series on the commercial channel SBS6. The award reflects the choice of Dutch viewers, and the winner was announced by Henny Huisman, a veteran television presenter. De Bondgenoten beat two other nominees: Kassa, the consumer affairs programme from public broadcaster BNNVARA, and Woeste Grond, a drama series set in Twente and made by AVROTROS.
The evening went well for De Bondgenoten. Jan Versteegh, who presents the show, won the Televizier-Ring for best presenter. NOS names his fellow nominees as Thomas van Groningen and Tim Hofman.
The ring for best actor went to Annet Malherbe for her role as Emma in the drama series Rust en Vreugd. NOS describes the series as the story of a recently widowed woman who is given a small plot on an allotment complex, where she becomes caught up in the tensions and feuds between the gardeners.
Several other categories were also decided:
- Televizier-Ring Talent, the audience prize for up-and-coming television talent, went to interior stylist and TV personality Daan Alferink. He beat radio presenter Bram Krikke and WNL presenter Frank van Leeuwen.
- Gouden Televizier-Ring Jeugd, for the most popular children’s programme, went to PaardenpraatTV, a YouTube channel about horses. Britt Dekker is among its presenters, and NOS reports that she was ecstatic when she collected the award.
- Televizier-Ring Impact, for the programme, TV moment or documentary with the greatest impact on society, went to the BNNVARA programme Even Tot Hier.
- Televizier-Ring Online-videoserie went to Bij Andy in de Auto, in which former footballer Andy van der Meijde talks to a range of guests in his car.
According to NOS, Even Tot Hier raised more than 3 million euros for war-affected Ukraine. It did so by repeatedly drawing attention to the foundation of Oleg, a Ukrainian accordion player. The money raised was used to buy ambulances and medical equipment.
In the online category, Bij Andy in de Auto beat Opdracht by StukTV and Tobi’s Eetclub by Tobias Camman. NOS notes that Camman has won this prize before, for the FOMO Show.
Why it matters if you live in Netherlands
The Televizier-Ringen are a useful guide to what Dutch audiences are actually watching and talking about. The main award is decided by the viewing public rather than a professional jury, so the winners reflect popular taste. If you are new to the country and want to understand the shows your colleagues, neighbours or your children’s classmates mention, this year’s list of winners and nominees is a practical starting point.
The range of nominees also shows how broad Dutch television is. Commercial and public broadcasters competed side by side for the main prize. The final three ranged from a reality game series to a consumer programme to a regional drama set in Twente. For anyone learning Dutch, a mix like this offers different registers of the language, from everyday conversation to regional settings.
For parents, the youth prize is worth noting. The most popular children’s programme this year was not a traditional broadcast show but a YouTube channel about horses. Together with the separate category for online video series, this shows that Dutch awards now treat online video as part of mainstream entertainment. Much of what younger viewers in the Netherlands watch sits outside the traditional TV schedule.
The Impact award points to something else. NOS reports that Even Tot Hier used its platform to raise more than 3 million euros for Ukraine. For residents following how Dutch media engages with the war, it is an example of a broadcast programme turning attention into concrete aid, in this case ambulances and medical equipment.
What to watch next
The NOS report does not include viewing figures, broadcast dates or details of new seasons for any of the winning programmes. If you want to catch up, the source names the broadcaster or platform behind each one. De Bondgenoten is an SBS6 production. Kassa and Even Tot Hier come from BNNVARA, Woeste Grond from AVROTROS, and PaardenpraatTV is a YouTube channel.
Several names from this year’s lists are worth following. Jan Versteegh now holds two rings through his work on De Bondgenoten. Daan Alferink has been recognised by the public as a rising talent, ahead of established names from radio and news television. Tobias Camman, a previous winner, was nominated again in the online category, which suggests that the line between YouTube creators and television presenters will matter more in future editions.
Woeste Grond is also worth a look. It did not win, but it was one of the public’s three finalists for the main prize, alongside a long-running consumer programme. Rust en Vreugd, the series that earned Annet Malherbe her ring, is another drama to add to your list if you want to explore recent Dutch fiction.
Source: NOS Cultuur
Sources
- NOS Cultuur: Gouden Televizier-Ring voor De Bondgenoten, presentator Jan Versteegh wint ook, accessed 9 October 2026
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