Congratulations to those shortlisted for the Media Freedom Awards 2025
The Media Freedom Awards set the benchmark for a celebration of UK public interest and campaigning journalism and shine a light on the crucial role that UK journalists play in promoting media freedom, championing the public’s right to know and holding power to account.
The awards will be handed out at a high-profile ceremony on the evening of Wednesday 12 November 2025 at the Underglobe in London. A shortlist for the awards appears below and to book please email office@societyofeditors.org
Individual Awards
Commentator of the Year Broadsheet
Allison Pearson, The Telegraph
Hadley Freeman, The Sunday Times
Ian Dunt, The i
Jemima Kelly, FT
Matthew Syed, The Sunday Times
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, the i
Commentator of the Year Popular
Aimée Walsh, The Mirror
Darren Lewis, The Mirror
Ian Birrell, Daily Mail
James McCarthy, Belfast Live
Sarah Vine, Daily Mail
Susie Boniface, Mirror Online
Journalist of the Year Broadcast
Alex Crawford, Sky News
Cathy Newman, Channel 4 News
Charlie Peters, GB News
Mark Daly, Disclosure, BBC Scotland
Stuart Ramsay, Sky News
Yalda Hakim, Sky News
Yogita Limaye, BBC News
Journalist of the Year National
Charles Hymas, The Telegraph
Fiona Hamilton, The Times
Gabriel Pogrund, The Sunday Times
Hannah Summers, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Nick Parker, The Sun
Sam Greenhill, Daily Mail
Susie Boniface, Daily Mirror
Journalist of the Year Regional
Antoine Allen, ITV News London
Charles Thomson, Newsquest South East
Jane Haynes, Birmingham Live
Liam Thorp, Liverpool Echo
Sam McBride, Belfast Telegraph
Tanya Fowles, Impartial Reporter
Young Journalist of the Year National
Alice Giddings, Metro
Holly Bancroft, The Independent
Malak A Tantesh, The Guardian
Olive Enokido-Lineham, Sky News
Rachel Hagan, Freelance
Rafe Uddin, Financial Times
Shingi Mararike, Sky News
Young Journalist of the Year Regional
Brad Harper, KentOnline
Kaf Okpattah, ITV News London
Lewis Warner, ITV News Central
Lucy John, WalesOnline
Megan Davies, Bailiwick Express, Connect Magazine
Phillip James Lynch, MyLondon
Foreign Correspondent of the Year
Catherine Philp, The Times
Christina Lamb, The Sunday Times
Louise Callaghan, The Sunday Times
Paraic O’Brien, Channel 4 News
Raya Jalabi, Financial Times
Stuart Ramsay, Sky News
Political Journalist of the Year
Anushka Asthana, ITN
Beth Rigby, Sky News
Caroline Wheeler, The Sunday Times
Gabriel Pogrund, The Sunday Times
Kitty Donaldson, The i
Pippa Crerar, The Guardian
Steven Swinford, The Times
Photo Journalist of the Year
Gareth Fuller, PA Media
Jack Hill, The Times and The Sunday Times
Kevin Scott, Belfast Telegraph
Peter Jordan, The Sun
Simon Townsley, The Telegraph
Stefan Rousseau, PA Media
The Ecotricity Impact Award for Environmental Journalism National
Ben Spencer, The Sunday Times
Jess Staufenberg, Atika Rehman, Anna Meisel, Paul Kenyon, SourceMaterial & BBC File on 4 Investigates
Phoebe Weston, The Guardian
Saving Britain’s Rivers, The i
Simon Evans, Carbon Brief
Tom Parry, Freelance
The Ecotricity Impact Award for Environmental Journalism Regional
Michael Crossland, The Yorkshire Post
Sam McBride, Belfast Telegraph
The Sewage Scandal, BBC Northern Ireland
Group Awards
Investigation of the Year National
Beast of Birkenhead, Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday
Gregg Wallace, The Telegraph
Lord Alli, The Times and The Sunday Times
Russia’s executions of Ukrainian POWs’, Financial Times
The Salt Path, The Observer
The Secret Afghan Airlift, Daily Mail
Investigation of the Year Regional
Bucks electrician inquest, Bucks Free Press
Homeless are being sent to North East, The Northern Echo
Neo-Nazis celebrate Hitler’s birthday in an Oldham pub, Manchester Evening News
Rough Project, MyLondon
Spaceport scandal, Cornwall Live
The FBA Brand Builder, Belfast Telegraph
Investigation of the Year Broadcast Regional
Disclosure: Kids on the Psychiatric Ward, BBC Scotland
Exposing Deadly Street Racing, ITV News Central
I am Not OK, BBC Northern Ireland
NHS Care Failings in Fife, STV News
Slavery on the High Street, BBC London and East
Tool theft crime wave, ITV News London
Investigation of the Year Broadcast National
Gaza: Doctors under attack, Basement Films/Channel 4
MI5 investigation, BBC News
Return to the Land, Sky News
Special Forces, I Saw War Crimes, BBC Panorama
The Case Against the Archbishop, Channel 4 News
The King, The Prince and Their Secret Millions, Channel 4 Dispatches
Podcast of the Year
Electoral Dysfunction, Sky News
Lucky Boy, The Observer
Marianna in Conspiracyland 2, BBC Radio 4
Scam Inc, The Economist
The Wargame, Sky News/Tortoise
Ukraine: The Latest, The Telegraph
Campaign of the Year National
Brick by Brick, The Independent
Carer’s allowance scandal, The Guardian
Free School Meals, The Mirror
Give Us Our Last Rights, Daily Express
Post Office Capture system, Sky News
Transparency in the family courts, Hannah Summers and Louise Tickle
Campaign of the Year Regional
Cavity Wall Insulation Scandal, Burnley Express
Child Poverty Emergency, Birmingham Live
Keep Hitachi on Track, The Northern Echo
The Silent Crime, National World
Trapped by Raac, The Press & Journal
Zoe’s Place, Liverpool Echo
National News Media Organisation of the Year
Daily Mail
PA Media
The Guardian
The i
The Sun
The Times and The Sunday Times
Regional News Media Organisation of the Year
Belfast Telegraph
Birmingham Live
Liverpool Echo
Manchester Evening News
Nottinghamshire Live
The Northern Echo