Dublin, 29 October 2026 – Yesterday evening, at a special award ceremony and networking dinner during the 36th Alzheimer Europe Conference (36AEC), Portuguese singer-songwriter Marlene Rosa was announced as the winner of the 2026 Anti-Stigma-Award for the song “A minha Tita era assim” (“That’s Who My Grandma Tita Was”). The dinner and award ceremony took place at The Round Room at the Mansion House in Dublin (Ireland), where Alzheimer Europe was delighted and honoured to count the Lord Mayor of Dublin Daryl Barron, Kieran O’Donnell, Minister of State for Older People and Housing, and Nina Carberry MEP (EPP, Ireland), among the 250 or so guests.
We would like to say a very special thank you to Irish television and radio presenter Miriam O’Callaghan, who was kind enough to host the entire award ceremony pro bono. Ms O’Callaghan is one of Ireland’s best known and most loved broadcasters, and it was truly an honour and a pleasure to have her at the helm for the evening, guiding proceedings effortlessly thanks to her impressive experience on national current affairs programmes and popular talk shows.
We were also delighted and honoured to welcome Minister O’Donnell, who spoke to our guests and presenters at the event, saying: "Combatting the stigma that can be associated with dementia is a vital part of our shared efforts at European and national level to ensure that people with dementia and their families can remain connected and included in their communities. I am delighted that Ireland is hosting this year's Anti-Stigma Award and I would like to congratulate all participants and award winners on their achievements. Music has a unique ability to bring people together and connect across generations, making it a fitting theme for an award that seeks to address stigma and promote greater understanding of dementia."
The call for applications for the fifth edition of the Anti-Stigma Award was launched in May 2026, with the aim of giving recognition to a European initiative or artist bringing together music and dementia and combatting stigma, by promoting a positive image of dementia and people living with dementia.
Alzheimer Europe and the sponsors of the Award, the Alzheimer Europe Foundation, Lilly and Roche, warmly congratulate Marlene Rosa on her winning entry “A minha Tita era assim”. This is an original song, written by Ms Rosa together with musician and composer Francisco Saldanha, as part of the broader “Cortex School Bag Initiative”, the first educational initiative in Portugal designed specifically to introduce the topic of dementia in primary schools. The project was created to counter a difficult reality: children who experience dementia within their families are rarely given the language, tools or emotional support to understand what is happening to a grandparent they love deeply, which can generate fear, confusion and distance from an early age. The project aims to change this by using music and storytelling to explain dementia in a way that feels honest, accessible and safe.
First place consisted of a cash prize of EUR 5,000 as well as a trophy, and was awarded by Nina Carberry MEP, Co-Chair of the European Alzheimer’s Alliance.
Nina Carberry MEP said: “With over 9 million people living with dementia across the EU, ending the stigma surrounding dementia and building greater understanding and awareness is essential. The Anti-Stigma Awards are a fantastic way of recognising and celebrating initiatives that are making a real difference in breaking down barriers and changing perceptions. It means a great deal to me that this year’s awards are being held in my home country of Ireland. I am particularly pleased that the focus is on music and dementia, as music has a unique ability to bring people together, create connections and inspire positive change.”
Marlene Rosa said, “By bringing dementia into children’s stories and songs, we hope to replace fear with understanding, nurture empathy from an early age, and help build a society without stigma.”
Francisco Saldinha said, “Music has the power to reach where words sometimes cannot, creating emotional bridges that help children understand dementia with greater sensitivity, empathy and openness.”
Second place carried a cash prize of EUR 2,500 as well as a trophy and was awarded to Brit Olssøn and The Dementia Choir from Norway. The aim of The Dementia Choir is to present dementia from the perspective of people living with the condition, allowing them to represent their identities, abilities, emotions and social engagement on national television, all of which helps challenge misconceptions about dementia, reduce stigma and promote understanding of dementia as a chronic brain disease rather than a normal part of ageing.
Kevin Quaid, Chairperson of the European Working Group of People with Dementia (EWGPWD), presented the award to Brit Olssøn and choir member Jan Runar Eliassen (also a member of the EWGPWD), who gratefully accepted on behalf of the choir. Brit Olssøn commented that, “Through openness, participation, and authentic storytelling, the choir members transform public perceptions of dementia from loss and limitation to dignity, capability, and human connection. Driven by volunteers and now spread across the country, the choirs show how music and community can create belonging, visibility, and meaningful change for people living with dementia.”
Third place was presented by Heike von Lützau-Hohlbein, Chairperson of the Alzheimer Europe Foundation. It consisted of a cash prize of EUR 1,250 and a trophy, awarded to Mike Hanrahan for his song “A River Rolls On”, recorded with Dublin’s Forgetmenots Choir, a dementia and age-friendly community choir.
Mike Hanrahan’s mother was diagnosed with dementia in 2012. After a restricted window visit with her in her care home during the COVID-19 pandemic, he wrote “A River Rolls On” as a tribute to her life and dedication to caring for others. “I imagined my mum’s life as a beautiful meandering river heading to its ocean. It was my deepest wish that the ancient sea folk would carry her past the storm of dementia and welcome her to a peaceful rest beyond the breakers”, he said, accepting the award in her honour, but also dedicating it “to all the carers”.
Honourable mentions were given to five runners-up, who received certificates from Maria do Rosário Zincke dos Reis, Vice-Chairperson of the Alzheimer Europe Foundation. The honourable mentions went to: Daniel Cauchi (Malta) for “Niftakarna”, Claus Christensen (Denmark) for “Når vi er sammen”, James McKillop (United Kingdom) for “Diff'rently the Same” and “I Still Love You”, Naaheed Mukadam (United Kingdom) for Music, meaning and memory, and Dimitrios Kalamaras and The Choir of Alzheimer Hellas (Greece), Musical- Theater for People with Alzheimer's Disease, for “Beautiful Greece”.
A huge thank you to our fantastic host, distinguished guests, presenters and everyone who applied for the award this year.
More information about the Anti-Stigma Award can be found at: https://www.alzheimer-europe.org/our-work/anti-stigma-award
46 applications were received for the Anti-Stigma Award in 2026 and were reviewed by the Anti-Stigma Award Jury, which was comprised of the following representatives:
• Alzheimer Europe Foundation: Heike von Lützau-Hohlbein, Trevor Salomon and Iva Holmerová
• Alzheimer Europe: Maria do Rosário Zincke dos Reis and Mario Possenti
• European Working Group of People with Dementia: Lilo Klotz and Kevin Quaid
• European Dementia Carers Working Group: Emil Emilsson and Zornitsa Karagyozova
• Roche: Jannice Roeser
• Lilly: Laura Campo
• C2N Diagnostics: Daniel Connell
• 2025 Award Winner: Alex Kornhuber
Acknowledgement
Alzheimer Europe gratefully acknowledges the support of the sponsors of the Alzheimer Europe Anti-Stigma Award 2026:
