The Society of Editors’ say the Media Freedom Awards celebrate UK public interest and campaigning journalism, and recognise excellence across all sectors of the UK news industry, culminating with a ceremony at the Underglobe in London on the evening of Wednesday 11 November 2026.
The awards will be presented by ITV News Presenter Lucrezia Millarini with sponsorship by Allwyn, VodafoneThree, Octopus Energy and Qwoted.
Announcing the shortlist, Dawn Alford, chief executive of the Society of Editors and co-chair of the judges said: “Today’s shortlist is a powerful reminder of the vital role that journalism plays in a free and democratic society. The journalists and news organisations recognised have demonstrated courage, determination and a commitment to reporting in the public interest, often in challenging and difficult circumstances.
“At a time when press freedom is under increasing pressure, it is more important than ever that we champion the right of journalists to investigate, question and hold power to account. We must also ensure that journalists can do their jobs safely, both in the UK and around the world, without facing intimidation, harassment or threats simply for reporting the truth.
“We are delighted to celebrate this outstanding group of nominees and the contribution they make to a healthy, informed democracy. We look forward to welcoming the shortlisted journalists, editors and news leaders to the Media Freedom Awards ceremony on 11 November, when we will come together to recognise their achievements and celebrate the importance of a free press.”
Other awards presented on the evening will include the Bob Satchwell Award, in memory of the Society’s founding director who was considered a great champion of press freedom before his death in 2021.
Booking for the Media Freedom Awards ceremony is now open with an early-bird rate available for tables booked before 12 October 2026. For full details or to enquire about sponsorship opportunities please email office@societyofeditors.org.
The Media Freedom Awards 2026 shortlist is as follows:
INVESTIGATION OF THE YEAR – NATIONAL
- BBC’s Trump bias exposed in memo leak, The Daily Telegraph
- Crispin Odey and the £79mn libel battle that wasn’t, Financial Times
- Epstein File Revelations, The Mail on Sunday
- Nigel Farage was given undisclosed £5m by crypto billionaire in 2024, The Guardian
- Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision, The Guardian
- Nigel Farage secretly funded by convicted criminal, The Sunday Times
INVESTIGATION OF THE YEAR – REGIONAL
- Broken Homes, MyLondon
- Belfast Protests, Belfast Telegraph
- Cost of Covid Oxygen Generators, Belfast Telegraph
- Kirklevington Detention Centre, The Northern Echo
- ‘My Dad’s death could have been avoided’, Leicester Mercury
- The billionaire landlord making Londoners homeless, London Centric
INVESTIGATION OF THE YEAR – BROADCAST – NATIONAL
- 999 Undercover - NHS in Crisis, Channel 4 Dispatches
- Exposed: Inside Britain’s Cosmetic Wild West, 5 News
- Groomed: The Truth Behind the Lie, Sky Television
- Iran School Bombing: The Search for Truth, Sky News/Full Story Films
- Predator: The Billionaire Football Boss, BBC Panorama and The Times
- Undercover in the Police, BBC Panorama
INVESTIGATION OF THE YEAR – BROADCAST – REGIONAL
- Care Home Undercover, BBC Disclosure
- Crime Next Door: The Beast of Birkenhead, BBC Sounds
- Nursery Scandals: What Went Wrong? BBC News, Longform Investigations Unit
- Protests in East Belfast, Belfast Telegraph, Bel Tel Podcast
- Swingers, BBC Wales
- The Botox Black Market, BBC London
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR – NATIONAL
- An affront to justice, The Sunday Times
- Domestic abuse suicide laws, The Guardian
- Free the 15, Daily Express
- Killer Kitchens, The i Paper
- Save Lives for Sam, Daily Mirror
- SMA heel prick campaign, Daily Mirror
CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR – REGIONAL
- Dual the A1 and Save Lives, ChronicleLive and The Journal
- Free bus pass for homeless kids, Manchester Evening News
- London’s Dodgy Shops, London Centric
- Save Our Harbour, Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald
- TEWV campaign, The Northern Echo
- Trapped by RAAC, The Press and Journal / Evening Express
COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR – BROADSHEET
- Camilla Long, The Sunday Times
- Duncan Robinson, The Economist
- Frances Ryan, The Guardian
- Fraser Nelson, The Times
- Marina Hyde, The Guardian
- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, The i Paper
COMMENTATOR OF THE YEAR – POPULAR
- Colin Robertson, The Sun
- David Patrikarakos, Daily Mail
- James McCarthy, BelfastLive
- Jane Atkinson, The Sun
- Katie Martin and Robert Armstrong, Financial Times
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – NATIONAL
- Anna Isaac, The Guardian
- Emily Dugan, The Sunday Times
- Gabriel Pogrund, The Sunday Times
- Gordon Rayner, The Telegraph
- Martyn Ziegler, The Times
- Robert Mendick, The Telegraph
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – REGIONAL
- Alex O’Leary, The Northern Echo
- Catriona MacPhee, BBC Scotland
- Jane Haynes, BirminghamLive
- Jim Waterson, London Centric
- Joshua Hartley, Nottingham Post
- Michael Crossland, Iconic Media
- Phil Coleman, Newsquest Cumbria
JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – BROADCAST
- Dominic Waghorn, Sky News
- Ed Thomas, BBC News
- Stuart Ramsay, Sky News
- Yogita Limaye, BBC News
YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – NATIONAL
- Akhtar Makoii, The Daily Telegraph
- Holly Bancroft, The Independent
- Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic
- Katie Tarrant, The Sunday Times
- Piriyanga Thirunimalan, Daily Mail
- Rachel Hagan, Freelance
- Zoe Tidman, Health Service Journal
YOUNG JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR – REGIONAL
- Abdullah Sabri, Belfast Telegraph
- Alex O’Leary, The Northern Echo
- Brad Harper, KentOnline
- Claudia Savage, PA Media
- Millie Bowles, KentOnline
- Oliver Pridmore, Nottingham Post
- Polly Smythe, London Centric
POLITICAL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
- Gabriel Pogrund, The Sunday Times
- Laura Kuenssberg, BBC News
- Lucy Fisher, Financial Times
- Pippa Crerar, The Guardian
- Steven Swinford, The Times
- Tony Diver, The Telegraph
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT OF THE YEAR
- Anthony Loyd, The Times
- Bel Trew, The Independent
- Chris Miller, Financial Times
- Christina Lamb, The Sunday Times
- Jon Snow, Channel 4
- Sarah Newey, The Daily Telegraph
PHOTOJOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
- Dimitris Legakis, Athena Picture Agency
- Enas Tantesh, The Guardian
- Gareth Fuller, PA Media
- Jack Hill, The Times and The Sunday Times
- Polly Braden, The Guardian
- Simon Townsley, The Telegraph
SOCIAL MEDIA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
- Clemmie Moodie, The Sun
- David Blair, The Telegraph
- Kevin Scott, Belfast Telegraph
- Mimi Yates, Daily Mail
- Simon Murphy, The Mirror
- Tom Pettifor, The Mirror
- Yalda Hakim, Sky News
SCOOP OF THE YEAR
- Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, The Times
- Ian Huntley Murdered, The Sun
- Nigel Farage was given undisclosed £5m by crypto billionaire in 2024, The Guardian
- Nigel Farage secretly funded by convicted criminal, The Sunday Times
- PC Harper’s killers set for early release, The Telegraph
- Walliams ‘harassed female staff’, The Telegraph
NATIONAL NEWS MEDIA ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR
- Daily Mail
- PA Media
- The Guardian
- The Sun
- The Telegraph
- The Times and The Sunday Times
REGIONAL NEWS MEDIA ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR
- Belfast Telegraph
- Liverpool Echo
- Manchester Evening News
- Nottingham Post
- Southern Daily Echo
- The Northern Echo
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