Congratulations to the winners of the Media Freedom Awards 2024
Excellence in campaigning and investigative journalism was honoured at the Society of Editors’ Media Freedom Awards 2024 on Tuesday 12 November 2024.
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 300 journalists from all sectors of the UK news media for a ceremony presented by ITV News’ Lucrezia Millarini and attended by the Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth Stephanie Peacock MP.
The awards are held in association with Allwyn and Vodafone and a full list of winners appears below. High-resolution images of the event will be added to this page in due course.
With thanks to our sponsors
Individual Awards
Commentator of the Year Broadsheet
Winner: Frances Ryan, The Guardian
Highly Commended: Matthew Syed, The Sunday Times
Commentator of the Year Popular
Winner: Darren Lewis, Daily Mirror
Highly Commended: Jon Sopel, The Independent
Journalist of the Year Broadcast
Winner: Sam Poling, BBC Scotland News
Highly Commended: Secunder Kermani, Channel 4 News
Journalist of the Year National
Winner: Scarlet Howes, The Sun
Highly Commended: Rosamund Urwin and Charlotte Wace, The Sunday Times
Journalist of the Year Regional
Winner: Jilly Beattie, Belfast Live
Highly Commended: Will Hayward, WalesOnline
Young Journalist of the Year National - in association with the Journalists' Charity
Winner: Isaan Khan, Daily Mail
Highly Commended: Sophie Huskisson, The Mirror
Young Journalist of the Year Regional
Winner: Kaf Okpattah, ITV News London
Highly Commended: Lucy John, WalesOnline
Foreign Correspondent of the Year
Winner: Christina Lamb, The Sunday Times
Highly Commended: Quentin Sommerville, BBC News
Political Journalist of the Year
Winner: Billy Kenber, The Times
Highly Commended: Pippa Crerar, The Guardian
Photojournalist of the Year
Winner: Simon Townsley, The Telegraph
Highly Commended: Jack Hill, The Times and Richard Pohle, The Times
Special Recognition Award
Kim Sengupta Defence and Diplomatic Editor, The Independent
Bob Satchwell Award
Pete Clifton, Editor-in-Chief, PA Media
Georgina Henry Award - sponsored by Wiggin LLP
Winner: Sophia Smith Galer for Sophina
Group Awards
Judges' Special Award
The Big Issue
Investigation of the Year National
Winner: Huw Edwards charged with indecent images, The Sun
Highly Commended: Russell Brand, The Times and The Sunday Times, Dispatches and Hardcash Productions
Investigation of the Year Regional
Winner: Vaughan Gething donations, WalesOnline
Highly Commended: Loretto boarding school investigation, The Herald and Herald on Sunday
Investigation of the Year Broadcast National
Winner: Migrant deaths, BBC News
Highly Commended: Disciples: The Cult of TB Joshua, BBC World Service/openDemocracy
Investigation of the Year Broadcast Regional
Winner: Catching a Killer, The Murder of Emma Caldwell, BBC Scotland News
Highly Commended: Culture Crisis in West Midlands Police, Channel 4 News Leeds
Podcast of the Year
Winner: Ukraine: The Latest, The Telegraph
Highly Commended: Who Killed Emma? BBC News Scotland
Campaign of the Year National
Winner: Bloody Disgrace, The Sunday Times
Highly Commended: Carer’s allowance scandal, The Guardian
Campaign of the Year Regional
Winner: Ban Zombie Knives, Express & Star
Highly Commended: NI Sexual Offences Anonymity Campaign, Belfast Telegraph and The 21, Newsquest London
Innovation of the Year
Winner: Cocaine Inc, The Times, The Sunday Times and News Corp Australia
Highly Commended: FT Visual Storytelling, Financial Times
National News Media Organisation of the Year
Winner: PA Media
Highly Commended: Times Media
Regional News Media Organisation of the Year
Winner: Belfast Telegraph
Highly Commended: Liverpool Echo
Broadcast News Media Organisation of the Year
Winner: Channel 4 News
Highly Commended: Sky News