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