Congratulations to the winners of the Media Freedom Awards 2026
Excellence in investigative journalism was honoured at the Society of Editors’ Media Freedom Awards 2026 on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
Held at the Underglobe in London, the high-profile awards, which set the benchmark for a celebration of UK public interest journalism, brought together more than 200 journalists from all sectors of the UK news media for a ceremony presented by ITV News’ Lucrezia Millarini.
The awards are held in association with Allwyn, VodafoneThree, Octopus Energy and Qwoted and a full list of winners appears below. High-resolution images of the event will be available in due course.
With thanks to our supporters:
Individual Awards
Commentator of the Year Broadsheet
Winner: Camilla Long, The Sunday Times
Highly commended: Marina Hyde, The Guardian
Commentator of the Year Popular
Winner: Colin Robertson, The Sun
Highly commended: James McCarthy, BelfastLive
Journalist of the Year National
Winner: Emily Dugan, The Sunday Times
Highly commended: Anna Isaac, The Guardian
Journalist of the Year Regional
Winner: Jane Haynes, BirminghamLive
Highly commended: Alex O’Leary, The Northern Echo
Journalist of the Year Broadcast
Winner: Yogita Limaye, BBC News
Highly commended: Dominic Waghorn, Sky News
Young Journalist of the Year National
Winner: Holly Bancroft, The Independent
Highly commended: Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic
Young Journalist of the Year Regional
Winner: Alex O’Leary, The Northern Echo
Highly commended: Millie Bowles, KentOnline
Political Journalist of the Year
Winner: Lucy Fisher, Financial Times
Highly commended: Pippa Crerar, The Guardian
Foreign Correspondent of the Year
Winner: Bel Trew, The Independent
Highly commended: Christina Lamb, The Sunday Times
Photo Journalist of the Year
Winner: Simon Townsley, The Telegraph
Highly commended: Jack Hill, The Times and The Sunday Times
Social Media Journalist of the Year
Winner: Mimi Yates, Daily Mail
Highly commended: Yalda Hakim, Sky News
Judges' Award
Jon Snow
Group Awards
Investigation of the Year National
Winner: Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision, The Guardian
Highly commended: Nigel Farage secretly funded by convicted criminal, The Sunday Times
Investigation of the Year Regional
Winner: The billionaire landlord making Londoners Homeless, London Centric
Highly commended: Belfast Protests, The Belfast Telegraph
Investigation of the Year Broadcast National
Winner: Undercover in the Police, BBC Panorama
Highly commended: 999 Undercover – NHS in Crisis, Channel 4 Dispatches
Investigation of the Year Broadcast Regional
Winner: Care Home Undercover, BBC Disclosure
Highly commended: Protests in East Belfast, The Belfast Telegraph, Bel Tel Podcast
Campaign of the Year National
Winner: Killer Kitchens, The i Paper
Highly commended: SMA heel prick campaign, Daily Mirror
Campaign of the Year Regional
Winner: TEWV campaign, The Northern Echo
Highly commended: Save Our Harbour, Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald
Scoop of the Year
Winner: Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, The Times
Highly commended: Ian Huntley Murdered, The Sun
Broadcast News Organisation of the Year
Winner: Sky News
Highly commended: GB News
Regional News Organisation of the Year
Winner: Manchester Evening News
Highly commended: Nottingham Post
National News Organisation of the Year
Winner: The Times and The Sunday Times
Highly commended: The Telegraph
Bob Satchwell Award
Media Lawyers Association