Overview
- Isabel Allende was declared the winner on Thursday, October 15, 2026, for a manuscript entered as 'Los que faltan' under the pseudonym Luz Ventura.
- Valencian writer Sergio Hernández was named the finalist and receives the €200,000 prize while finalists were presented with a new commemorative trophy at the gala in Barcelona attended by the King and Queen.
- The 2026 edition set a record with 1,424 submitted manuscripts and produced nine finalists after one work was removed from the usual ten‑book shortlist.
- Two different explanations have been reported for the missing finalist: Grupo Planeta’s president said a submission was discarded for using artificial intelligence, while the jury reported disqualification for prior publication, and the accounts have not been reconciled.
- Winning and finishing as finalist require authors to cede exclusive exploitation rights to Editorial Planeta, which together with national tax rules means the advertised gross sums may differ from what authors actually receive and will shape future debates about transparency and authorship control.