The British Journalism Awards were presented at a gala dinner hosted by BBC and Channel 5 presenter Jeremy Vine at the London Hilton Bankside on Thursday 12 th December.
The British Journalism Awards say they continued to celebrate journalism that showed skill and rigour, was revelatory and served the public interest.
The 26 winners were whittled down from more than 750 entries and 170 finalists by an independent panel of 80 judges, added the organisers.
In his opening comments, Press Gazette editor-in-chief and chairman of the judges Dominic Ponsford said on the evening of the Awards: “Artificial intelligence can do a lot, but it can’t go undercover in a prison, care home or school. It can’t be the eyes of the world, risking everything to report from war zones. And it can’t make the call to face down legal threats, despite the high costs, and decide to publish and be damned as so many of you have done over the last year.
“Amid a sea of online content which can be filled with ‘made for advertising’ sewage, the work on display tonight reminds us all that real journalism is special, it does matter and it can make a difference. It is worth fighting for.”
The awards were supported by headline sponsor Starling Bank along with Amazon and RenewableUK. The event supported charity partner the Journalists’ Charity, which assists members of the profession who fall on hard times.
The British Journalism Awards 2024 winners and highly commended finalists can be seen in full below:
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT JOURNALISM, sponsored by Renewable UK
WINNER: Josephine Moulds — The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
- Barclays’ billions of ‘sustainable’ finance for fossil fuel industry is greenwash, says investor
- Backroom deals, mystery companies and a ‘killer lake’: inside DRC’s gas and oil auction
- HSBC helped oil and gas industry raise $47bn despite net-zero pledge
The judges said: “Well written, detailed and revelatory. Three massive stories which had an impact and got results.”
Highly commended: Guy Grandjean, Patrick Fee, Gwyneth Jones and Chris Thornton — BBC Spotlight Northern Ireland
- Spotlight – The Lough Neagh Monster
- Hundreds of environmental breaches by Moy Park
Highly commended: Sam McBride — Belfast Telegraph
- Watch: Sam McBride’s in-depth look at Lough Neagh’s blue-green algae crisis
- Apocalypse Neagh: The source of 40% of NI’s water is ‘dying’
The judges said the highly commended finalists “both exposed really shocking levels of pollution in Britain’s largest freshwater lake and got results”.
HEALTH & LIFE SCIENCES JOURNALISM
WINNER: Rebecca Thomas — The Independent
- Revealed: NHS regulator’s ‘culture of fear’ that leaves rogue nurses free to abuse patients
- Mental health patients ‘raped and sexually assaulted’ as NHS abuse scandal revealed
- Nicholas’s story: ‘I’ve been locked up for 10 years because I’m autistic. Is a chance at life too much to ask?’
The judges said the winner’s work provided “three significant examples of dogged journalism which had a huge impact”.
BUSINESS, FINANCE AND ECONOMICS JOURNALISM, sponsored by Starling Bank
WINNER: Gill Plimmer and Robert Smith — Financial Times
- Thames Water shareholders backed away over regulator’s debt demands
- Chinese state banks are lenders to Thames Water’s parent company
- Thames Water owners pile group with debt
The judges said the FT “played to two of its journalists’ strengths here – notably its coverage of infrastructure and the debt markets – to bring the crisis at Thames Water to front pages across the country”.
Highly commended: Anna Isaac and Alex Lawson — The Guardian
The judges said: “This was an impressive, good old-fashioned off-diary scoop of the best variety, clearly written against a wall of intransigence.”
CRIME & LEGAL JOURNALISM
WINNER: Sue Mitchell, Rob Lawrie, Joel Moors, Winifred Robinson, Dan Clarke, Philip Sellars, Tom Brignell and Mom Tudie — BBC Radio 4
- To Catch a Scorpion
- How we found Europe’s most wanted migrant-smuggler
- Why the BBC could track down a people-smuggling kingpin before the police
The judges said: “Gripping, brave, brilliant tradecraft and a huge public interest operation achieving what the police couldn’t.”
COMMENT JOURNALISM
WINNER: Duncan Robinson — The Economist
- British boomers are losing out for the first time
- Why the next Westminster scandal is already here
- The narcissism of minor differences, Labour Party edition
The judges said Robinson was “absolutely on the money on freebies long before the rest of the media, particularly Keir Starmer’s declarations. He exemplifies the fine art of balanced commentary.”
SPORTS JOURNALISM
WINNER: Simon Lock, Rob Davies and Jacob Steinberg — The Bureau of Investigative Journalism / The Guardian
- Leaked documents reveal Abramovich is still connected to Vitesse (TBIJ) and Abramovich loans fund owner of Dutch football club, leaked documents suggest(Guardian)
- Abramovich’s hidden football deals during Chelsea’s time at the top (TBIJ) and Chelsea FC face new questions over how Roman Abramovich funded success(Guardian)
- ‘I worked for Abramovich?’: footballers were owned by oligarch via offshore deals(TBIJ) and Revealed: Abramovich, the super-agent and the footballers owned as ‘commodities’ (Guardian)
The judges said: “This was superb work which tenaciously pursued a story others seemed happy to forget, exposing the less salubrious machinations behind the lucrative world of football.”
ONLINE VIDEO JOURNALISM
WINNER: Tom Pettifor, Matthew Young and Daniel Dove — Daily Mirror
- Jill Dando murder: Key witness identifies Serbian assassin
- Has the man who killed Jill Dando finally been found?
- Jill Dando murder: Man wanted for questioning matches features of Serbian assassin
The judges said: “This was a compelling video report which revealed persuasive new evidence on one of the UK’s most high-profile unsolved murders, 25 years on.”
Highly commended: Mohamed Ibrahim, Owen Pinnell, Mouna Ba, Wael El-Saadi and Feras Al Ajrami — BBC Eye Investigations
- Gaza 101: Emergency Rescue
The judges said: “A deeply compelling watch that captured brilliantly the plight of people in Gaza.”
Highly commended: Reem Makhoul, Robert Leslie, Clancy Morgan, Amelia Kosciulek, Matilda Hay, Liz Kraker, Dorian Barranco, Barbara Corbellini Duarte, Erica Berenstein and Yasser Abu Wazna — Business Insider
The judges said: “A highly polished and beautifully visualised piece of research about the effects of the war in Gaza.”
SPECIALIST JOURNALISM
WINNER: Emily Townsend — Health Service Journal
- Midwives call women in labour ‘Asian princesses’ amid ‘hostile’ environment fears
- Over 30 sepsis deaths linked to ‘systemic’ failings, investigation reveals
- Revealed: Doubling of average waits for critical stroke treatments
The judges said: “A great range of stories tackling tough subjects, all well researched and genuinely impactful.”
PHOTOJOURNALISM
WINNER: Thomas Dworzak — 1843 magazine, The Economist
The judges said: “A sensitive and deeply moving set of photos which reveal an untold story and provide a visual record of the human toll of geopolitical conflict.”
INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Harry Lewis-Irlam, Stephen Matthews, Darren Boyle and Rhodri Morgan — Mail Online: Deep Dive
- How China could seize Taiwan and spark WW3
- Anatomy of a loveless landslide: How Labour won on apathy and division
- Hour by hour, how D-Day unfolded…
The judges said: “A clever way of conveying complex information without overwhelming the audience. A genuinely innovative new story format.”
Highly commended: Alison Killing, Chris Miller, Peter Andringa, Chris Campbell, Sam Learner and Sam Joiner — Financial Times
- FT investigation finds Ukrainian children on Russian adoption sites
The judges said this entry displayed an “innovative use of AI on an extremely important public interest story”.
Highly commended: David Dubas-Fisher, Cullen Willis, Paul Gallagher and Richard Ault — Reach Data Unit
- Cheapest places in Greater Manchester to buy petrol as RAC issues fuel price warning
- DWP Cold Weather Payment postcode checker – map shows where households are due £25, £50 or £75 boost
- Enter postcodes in this map to see average house prices in your area
The judges said this was “data journalism that makes excellent use of public data to provide useful information in an accessible format”.
TECHNOLOGY JOURNALISM, sponsored by Amazon
WINNER: Amanda Chicago Lewis — 1843 magazine, The Economist
- Secrets of a ransomware negotiator
The judges said: “This was a gripping story which shed new light on one of the biggest problems in the world of technology and how companies respond when they are under ransomware attack.”
FEATURES JOURNALISM
WINNER: Sirin Kale — The Guardian
- The Russell murders: is Michael Stone in prison for a brutal crime he didn’t commit?
- ‘My child was drowning’: life and death on an English maternity ward
- The life and tragic death of John Balson: how a true crime producer documented his own rising horror
The judges said: “Sirin’s work is a masterclass in how to blend beautiful writing with meticulous research to ensure she delivers an absolute must-read piece of journalism.”
Highly commended: Fiona Hamilton — The Times
- Realising Sarah Everard got into a sex offender’s car was horrific
- Nottingham attacks: ‘We have no faith in the police. We want justice’
- ‘A horrible way to die … and no doctors can help you’
The judges said: “A journalistic class act who showcases how to bring unique angles to tragedies which had received global scrutiny.”
Highly commended: Inderdeep Bains — Daily Mail
- Sudiksha: ‘Condemned to Die in Secret’ – The Shocking Story of the 19-year-old’s fight to live
- My doctors insist it’s time I died – but I will fight them: Extraordinary case of 19-year-old woman suffering from Charlie Gard condition battling medics’ attempts to ‘condemn her to death’
The judges said: “Inderdeep’s determination to give a voice to a vulnerable young person who literally could not speak for herself resulted in real-world discussion around policy change. A heartbreaking story told with compassion and vigour.”
MARIE COLVIN AWARD
WINNER: Feras Al Ajrami — BBC Eye Investigations
WINNER: Yousef Hammash — Channel 4 News
The judges said: “Whilst the world’s media has been banned from entering Gaza, these reporters were among those who have ensured that victims of the conflict still have a voice. It is a conflict zone which has become the most deadly in history for the media, with 137 journalists and media workers killed in just over a year.
“They’ve both captured the voice from the ground, shown tremendous courage in appalling circumstances and produced vivid, memorable stories. Whilst one chronicled the work of emergency crews working in Gaza during the first weeks of the conflict, the other winner covered the bombardment of Gaza even as his home was destroyed and he had to flee south with his family.”
NEW JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Oliver Marsden — The Sunday Times/Al Jazeera
- Israeli strikes on Lebanon: Attacks are causing wildfires across south
- Hero taxi driver who saved scores from Hamas faces hatred from both sides
- Dodging Israeli rockets with Ghana’s UN peacekeepers
The judges said: “This journalist has demonstrated huge courage reporting from dangerous areas. Vivid and compelling reporting.”
LOCAL JOURNALISM
WINNER: Sam McBride — Belfast Telegraph
- Killing Edgar podcast
- Lough Neagh has become a scene of Biblical disaster, and Stormont was central to its destruction
The judges said: “Sam is a proper journalistic pain in the arse for those in power. Strong, compelling stories, meticulously researched and told with flair and authority.”
Highly commended: Abi Whistance, Joshi Herrmann, Kate Knowles, Mollie Simpson and Jothi Gupta — Mill Media
- Exclusive: How did a semi in Harpurhey sell for £1.8m?
- Special investigation: The collapsing world of Liverpool’s charity kingpin
- Investigation: The spectacular rise and sudden fall of Gurpaal Judge
The judges said this was “brilliant forensic reporting drawing threads together from three cities to create a powerful expose of exploitation and corruption”.
Highly commended: Richard Newman, Jennifer O’Leary, Gwyneth Jones and Chris Thornton — BBC Spotlight
- Katie: Coerced and Killed
The judges said: “Absolutely compelling documentary making which exposed the police incompetence that allowed a killer to be at his dying victim’s bedside.”
SOCIAL AFFAIRS, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION JOURNALISM
WINNER: Rianna Croxford, Ruth Evans, Cate Brown, Ed McGown, Tom Stone, Ed Campbell and Karen Wightman — BBC Panorama
- The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool
The judges said: “This three-year investigation made global headlines after it revealed sexual abuse and exploitation at the top of a major fashion brand. Brave journalism which gave male victims a voice in the #metoo movement and has had a huge impact.”
Highly commended: Abi Kay — Farmers Weekly
- Editor’s view: Facing hard truths about young farmer culture
- Level the Field
- Is there a problem with young farmer culture?
The judges said this was “journalism which exposed uncomfortable truths at the heart of the community this publication serves”.
Highly commended: Joshua Nelken-Zitser, Ida Reihani and Kit Gillet — Business Insider
- Iran will pay for gender-transition surgery, but it comes at a cost — your
- dignity
The judges said this was a “wide-ranging investigation into a largely untold story in one of the most secretive parts of the world”.
INTERVIEWER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Laura Kuenssberg — Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, BBC News
- Inside No 11 with Chancellor Rachel Reeves
- Baroness Mone and the PPE Scandal
- How Can We Protect Our Children Online?
The judges said: “Laura is forensic, politely determined and never lets her subject off the hook.”
Highly commended: Christina Lamb — The Sunday Times
- David Cameron: ‘Why did I take the job? Rishi Sunak asked!’
- ICC prosecutor: UK didn’t blitz the IRA — Israel needs that restraint
- The president’s daughter (and Instagram star) wanted by Interpol
The judges said: “An excellent spread of work. Intelligence and brilliant on detail.”
Highly commended: Nick Ferrari — LBC
- Nigel Farage joins Nick Ferrari
- Labour leader Keir Starmer joins Nick Ferrari to take your calls
- Champagne and caviar: Esther Rantzen reveals plans for final moments as she pushes for assisted dying law change
Ferrari was praised for: “Consistently making headlines thanks to his quick thinking and superb journalism instincts.” The judges also congratulated him for marking 20 years presenting LBC’s breakfast show, the longest stint of any UK commercial radio breakfast presenter.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALISM
WINNER: Rosamund Urwin and Charlotte Wace — The Times and The Sunday Times
- ‘I felt used and abused’ on Arthur: alleged Russell Brand victim speaks
- Russell Brand accused of rape, sexual assaults and abuse
- How The Times and The Sunday Times investigated Russell Brand
The judges said: “This was undoubtedly one of the scoops of the year in the entertainment industry. Journalism which overcame a culture of silence and intimidation.”
FOREIGN AFFAIRS JOURNALISM
WINNER: Vanessa Bowles and Jaber Badwan — Channel 4 Dispatches
- Kill Zone: Inside Gaza
The judges said: “This was the most startling and compelling of many entries from the Israel/Gaza conflict, exposing the true cost of war. It was impossible not to be moved by the children’s stories of life inside Gaza.”
Highly commended: Kim Sengupta — The Independent
- The families of hostages taken by Hamas are desperate – but can Israel get them back?
- Bombs, betrayal and burying loved ones: Plight of one Ukraine village illustrates toll of Russia’s invasion
- ‘I have buried more than 50 friends’: My life as a British soldier fighting on Ukraine’s bloody front line
The judges wanted to recognise the “late, great” Kim Sengupta who died in July aged 68. They said: “Typically vivid reporting from Kim Sengupta, one of the finest foreign correspondents of our time. As always he was at the sharp end of the story, bringing to life the impact and the price of war in Ukraine and Israel/Gaza. His skill, his determination and his courage will be missed after his passing this year. He represented the best of British journalism and deserves our recognition.”
POLITICS JOURNALISM
WINNER: Caroline Wheeler — The Sunday Times
- At last: promise of £10bn payout for infected blood victims
- Commons worker arrested after allegedly spying for China
- My MP husband Andrew Bridgen was captured by antivax ‘cult’
The judges said: “This was outstanding work which was the definition of public interest journalism: a story and a campaign that is literally life and death to so many people.”
Highly commended: Beth Rigby — Sky News
- How Reform fares on Thursday will also determine the Conservatives fate
- Election exit poll
- The Battle for Number 10: A Sky News Leaders’ Special
The judges said: “Beth is always brilliant at holding politicians to account in simple and direct style.”
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Computer Weekly editorial team — Computer Weekly: Post Office Scandal
- Post Office Horizon replacement project labelled ‘unachievable’ as taxpayer bill reaches £1bn
- Post Office Horizon scandal explained: Everything you need to know
- Fujitsu staff instructed how to bid for government contracts during self-imposed ban
The judges said: “Sometimes, campaigning journalism takes time to have an impact. For this title it has taken 15 years and 450 stories. They prove that you don’t have to be big to make a massive impact and have led the way on one of the biggest stories of the century so far, playing a crucial role in finally securing justice for victims.”
SCOOP OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Ex-BBC presenter Huw Edwards charged with making 37 indecent images of children, ‘shared on WhatsApp’ — The Sun
The judges said: “This was a series of astonishing scoops incredibly sensitively handled, despite some sneering from the usual suspects. Some stories you have to fight incredibly hard to get over the line, and this is one of them. Another game changer.”
NEWS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Channel 4 News
The judges said: “From searing eye-witness journalism in Gaza to breaking new ground in coverage of the Post Office scandal, Channel 4 News has led the way providing public interest journalism which raises the reputation of our whole industry.”
PUBLIC SERVICE JOURNALISM, in association with The Journalists’ Charity
WINNER: David Knowles — The Telegraph
The judges said Knowles, who died suddenly at the age of just 32 in September, “made a global impact in a short life. The daily podcast he launched – Ukraine: The Latest – continues to this day and has now had more than 700 episodes and 100 million listens.
“Thousands of those listeners paid tribute to Knowles as someone who inspired them to support the people of Ukraine in their struggle against Russian aggression.”
The judges added: “His work is an inspirational example of the capacity for journalism to create communities, provide a voice for those who need it most and reach a huge audience by simply telling human stories in a sensitive and intelligent way.”
The British Journalism Awards say The Public Service Award was collected on behalf of Knowles by his Telegraph colleague Francis Dearnley.
INVESTIGATION OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Scarlet Howes, Mike Hamilton, Alex West, Victoria Newton and James Slack — The Sun
- We’re still suffering, say parents at centre of Huw Edwards scandal as they slam BBC for lack of answers after he quits
- Ex-BBC presenter Huw Edwards charged with making 37 indecent images of children, ‘shared on WhatsApp’
- Huw Edwards used position of power to groom young people for 6 years even sending pictures from BBC desk to impress them
The judges said: “Unmasking such a powerful figure and exposing not only how they abused their position but how the BBC had failed to act was a huge act of public interest. This story required not just old-fashioned investigative techniques but sensitivity and judgement in how to handle and present the investigation.”
Highly commended: Rosamund Urwin, Charlotte Wace, Paul Morgan-Bentley, Esella Hawkey, Imogen Wynell Mayow, Alice McShane, Florence Kennard, Ian Bendelow, Victoria Noble, Alistair Jackson, Sarah Wilson and Geraldine McKelvie — The Sunday Times, The Times, Hardcash Productions, Channel Four Dispatches Investigations Unit
- Russell Brand: In Plain Sight
- Russell Brand accused of rape, sexual assaults and abuse
- How The Times and The Sunday Times investigated Russell Brand
The judges said: “A hard-hitting dissection of a predator who was aided and abetted by the industry he worked in. Meticulous work which had to reach a high bar in order to make it to publication.”
Highly commended: Ruth Evans, Oliver Newlan, Leo Telling, Sasha Hinde, Hayley Clarke and Karen Wightman — BBC Panorama
- Undercover School: Cruelty in the Classroom
The judges said this was “an investigation that exposed cruelty and profiteering in the field of special needs education, led to a school being closed down and staff arrested”.
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Caroline Wheeler — The Sunday Times
Press Gazette editor-in-chief and chairman of the judges Dominic Ponsford said Wheeler was “recognised not just for her work over the last 12 months but over the course of a 23-year crusade. Her work was instrumental in bringing about the infected blood public inquiry in 2017. She led a campaign which last year was backed by 250 MPs and peers seeking a fair settlement for victims of the tragedy.
“The campaign and public report helped secure the promise of more than £10bn in compensation, undermining the previous government’s ability to offer tax cuts and perhaps even hastening the general election.”
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