Cologne – September 15, 2026 -- German public broadcaster WDR secured three trophies at the 2026 German Television Award, presented September 8-9 in Cologne, with two of the winning productions made under its lead.
WDR-led drama series "Hundertdreizehn" wins Best Drama Series
The series is built around a Federal Ministry of Transport finding that an average of 113 people are directly or indirectly affected each time a single traffic fatality occurs. It follows multiple characters connected by a catastrophic bus accident. "Hundertdreizehn" was produced by Windlight Pictures and Satel Film in co-production with WDR, ORF and ARD Degeto Film for ARD, with funding from Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, Nordmedia, German Motion Picture Fund and FISA+.
Bettina Oberli takes Best Fiction Direction for WDR series "naked"
Oberli directed the psychological drama on sex addiction and codependency, based on personal experiences of head writer Silke Eggert. Fandango Film TV GmbH produced the series on behalf of WDR for ARD; the broadcaster describes it as the first German series to address these themes directly through a toxic love story.
ITV Studios Germany's "Werwölfe" reality format wins Best Reality Entertainment
The game show, based on the board game "Die Wölfe von Düsterwald" and licensed through DreamSpark, was produced by ITV Studios Germany for the ARD Mediathek on behalf of Bayerischer Rundfunk, SWR and WDR, with BR taking the lead. WDR received 11 nominations overall at the ceremony, which was judged by an independent jury chaired by Stephan Lamby.
WDR Director-General Dr. Katrin Vernau said "Hundertdreizehn" combines "incredible narrative power and unusual dramaturgy with major themes such as guilt, responsibility and forgiveness," adding that "naked" uses intense staging to sensitize audiences to difficult subjects.