Congratulations to those shortlisted for the Media Freedom Awards 2023

The Media Freedom Awards set the benchmark for a celebration of UK public interest 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 were handed out a high-profile ceremony on the evening of Wednesday 8 November 2023 at the iconic Banking Hall in London. A full list of winners from the event can be found here and a shortlist for the awards appears below.

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Individual Awards

Young Journalist of the Year National

Harriet Barber, The Telegraph
Ashni Lakhani, BBC
Lucy Marley, The News Movement
Sabrina Miller, Daily Mail/The Mail on Sunday
Ruben Reuter, Channel 4 News
Marianna Spring, BBC News

Young Journalist of the Year Regional

Dolly Carter, East Anglian Times and Ipswich Star
Brendan Duggan, The Courier and Press and Journal
Conor Gogarty, WalesOnline
Daniel Hordon, The Northern Echo
Lucy John, WalesOnline
Josh Sandiford, Birmingham Mail and BirminghamLive
Stephen Topping, Manchester Evening News

Commentator of the Year

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, The i
Hadley Freeman, The Sunday Times
Marina Hyde, The Guardian
Nesrine Mailk, The Guardian
Camilla Long, The Sunday Times
Sonia Sodha, The Observer

Journalist of the Year National

Ian Birrell, Daily Mail/UnHerd
David Conn, The Guardian
Anna Isaac, The Guardian
Paul Morgan-Bentley, The Times
Gabriel Pogrund, The Sunday Times
Gordon Rayner, The Daily Telegraph

Journalist of the Year Regional

Phil Coleman, News & Star
Conor Gogarty, WalesOnline
Lucy John, WalesOnline
Sharon O’Neill, Sunday Life
Charles Thomson, Islington Gazette, Newham Recorder and Romford Recorder  
Stephen Topping, Manchester Evening News

Journalist of the Year Broadcast

Paul Brand, ITV News
Tessa Chapman, 5 News
Alex Crawford, Sky News
Rohit Kachroo, ITV News
Piers Morgan, TalkTV
Stuart Ramsay, Sky News

Foreign Correspondent of the Year

Molly Blackall, The i
Louise Callaghan, The Sunday Times
Alex Crawford, Sky News
Christina Lamb, The Sunday Times
Yogita Limaye, BBC News
Stuart Ramsay, Sky News
Bel Trew, The Independent

Political Journalist of the Year

Pippa Crerar, The Guardian
Sam Coates, Sky News
Gabriel Pogrund, The Sunday Times
John Stevens, The Mirror
Steven Swinford, The Times
Harry Yorke, The Sunday Times

Freelance Journalist of the Year

Joshua Baker, BBC
Liz Cookman, The Economist 1843
Katie McQue, Washington Post, The Guardian, ICIJ
Tom Odula, BBC Africa Eye
Samira Shackle, The Guardian 
Hannah Summers, The Guardian and The Observer

Photo Journalist of the Year

Facundo Arrizabalaga, MyLondon
Charlie Bibby, Financial Times
Mike Egerton, PA Media
Kirsten Elder, Belfast Telegraph
Gareth Fuller, PA Media
Alessio Mamo, The Guardian
Simon Townsley, Telegraph Media Group

Group Awards

Investigation of the Year Broadcast National

Sex For Work: The True Cost of Our Tea, BBC Africa Eye and BBC Panorama
Shocking culture of UK Fire Services, ITV News
Stephen Lawrence, The Sixth Suspect, BBC News
Under Poisoned Skies, BBC News and BBC Arabic
Undercover Hospital: Patients At Risk, BBC Panorama
Westminster Accounts, Sky News and Tortoise Media

Investigation of the Year Broadcast Regional

British Judo, ITV News Central
Claims of toxic corruption within the Metropolitan police, ITV News London
Disclosure: The Great Ferries Scandal, BBC Scotland
SEND investigation, ITV News Anglia
The Right to Learn, ITV News Central
Windrush 75, ITV News Central

Investigation of the Year National

British Gas breaking into homes of the vulnerable, The Times
Confederation of British Industry, The Guardian
Crispin Odey investigation, Financial Times
Lockdown Files, The Telegraph
Phillip Schofield, Mail Newspapers
Privatised water, The Guardian
The BBC Chairman, the Prime Minister and the £800,000 loan guarantee, The Sunday Times

Investigation of the Year Regional

Exploitation and pressure-selling at direct sales firm, WalesOnline
Jason Moore Murder Case, Romford Recorder
Mobuoy Scandal, Belfast Telegraph
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Manchester Evening News
Taser use, News & Star
Wingate Grave Blunder, The Northern Echo

Innovation Award

Inside North Korea, BBC News
Isis jailbreak in Syria, Airwars and VICE News
Lockdown Files, The Telegraph
The Trial of Lucy Letby, MailPlus
Transvaginal Ultrasound investigation, VICE News
Westminster Accounts, Sky News and Tortoise Media

Podcast of the Year

Hunting Mr X, DC Thomson
Partygate: The Inside Story, ITV News
The Open Secret, Sky News
The Shamima Begum Story, BBC Long Form Audio
The Slow Newscast, Tortoise Media
The Trial of Lucy Letby, MailPlus

Campaign of the Year National

Act Now on Asbestos, The Sunday Times
Baby, Bank on Us, The Sun
Clean It Up, The Times
End this injustice, Daily Express
Pre-payment metres, The i
School Hunger, Evening Standard, The Independent

Campaign of the Year Regional

Awaab’s Law, Manchester Evening News
Knife Crime Taskforce, The Northern Echo
No Hungry Kids This Summer, Newsquest Media Group
Our Communities Together – A cost of living crisis appeal, South Wales Argus & others
Save Bolton Hospice, The Bolton News
The Save Withnell Health Centre, Lancashire Telegraph

National News Media Organisation of the Year

Daily Mail
Financial Times
PA Media
The Guardian
The Telegraph
Times Media

Regional News Media Organisation of the Year

Belfast Telegraph
Jersey Evening Post
Liverpool Echo
Sunday Life
The Detail
WalesOnline

International News Media Organisation of the Year

Africa Uncensored
Bellingcat
Bloomberg News
CNN Africa
Investigate Europe