April 22nd, 2025
The Fetisov Journalism Awards, the richest prize in global journalism, announced the 2024 winners on April 22nd, 2025 in Dubai. The FJA celebrate outstanding journalists from around the globe who speak truth to power and have significant impact on the lives of people. Recipients of the awards are reporters who, despite difficult circumstances, produce groundbreaking stories that make a difference in the world.
The Fetisov Journalism Awards were founded in 2019 by a businessman, producer, scientist and philanthropist Mr Gleb Fetisov. More than 400 entries from 89 countries were submitted for the FJA competition.
Each of the 4 categories was judged by a carefully selected members of the Expert Council who did just an excellent job and chose the best. The winners for the Fetisov Journalism Awards were selected from the 36 best shortlisted entries by the renowned Jurors of the contest. The members of the Jury have years of experience and knowledge in the field of journalism. They are award-winning media experts, top editors and international correspondents.
Gleb Fetisov, Founder of the Fetisov Journalism Awards:
"Today, we gather to honor those whose words do not bend to trends, to fear, or to pressure. Those who choose to speak when silence would be easier. Your work is fire sparked in the cold iron of lies. Your voices rise through the silence that fear tries to impose.
You are not merely journalists. You are the keepers of the flame when the world is cloaked in darkness. What you do is not just reporting. Not simply investigation. It is an act of resistance — a gesture at once simple and eternal."
Ricardo Gutiérrez, FJA Jury Member, Secretary General of the the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ):
"I'm proud to present the award in the investigative journalism category. This is the category that best embodies the societal mission of journalists, in the service of citizens: the crucial responsibility of holding those in power to account. These days, investigative journalism is in danger. Opposing forces want to silence it. It is more important than ever to celebrate this incisive, demanding journalism, which is fundamentally at the service of the public interest. Thank you to the Fetisov Journalism Awards for helping to celebrate this fundamental journalism, which guarantees the exercise of democracy and the rule of law."
Learn more about the winning stories: https://fjawards.com/finalists
Outstanding Contribution to Peace
First Prize Winner
Sarah A Topol (USA)
The America That Americans Forget
When global tensions rise and geopolitics are in play it’s the most vulnerable people who often suffer the most. The plight of the people in the small island communities of the Pacific is one such tragic example. This vivid story-telling illustrates, in painstaking detail, how the regional rivalry between America and China has led to unprecedented militarization of island communities – and particularly Guam, whose residents are in the frontline of this global power struggle. This is journalism of award-winning excellence – truth-telling, holding power to account and giving voice to victims of injustice, discrimination and inequality.
Second Prize Winner
Nick Turse (USA)
Series on Drone Strike Victims
Reporting at its best always speaks for the voiceless and this series on the victims of drone strikes in Somalia shows how committed journalism can challenge even the world’s most powerful military machine. This series focuses on the victims of United States drone strikes, and particularly on the tragic death of a mother and her child in Somalia. It traces how the Pentagon tried to deny responsibility, but as a result of robust reporting and the courage of handful of African media, an alliance of campaigners and human rights defenders has formed to demand an apology, compensation and, above all, justice.
Third Prize Winner
Lynzy Billing (UK)
How America’s War Devastated Afghanistan’s Environment
The suffering in war rarely ends when the bullets stop flying. As this horrifying report illustrates, the impact of America’s intervention in Afghanistan is still felt in the country in a crisis that may linger for generations. American soldiers stationed in the country occupied vast bases where a lack of environmental protection led to shocking pollution, poisoning of water and health hazards for the community. This is a master class in fact-based investigative journalism,exposing how the US government utterly failed the Afghans who had the misfortune to live near the bases they left behind.
Third Prize Winner
Birgitta Schülke, Arafatul Islam, Naomi Conrad (Germany)
Torturers Deployed as UN Peacekeepers
Keeping the peace is a key task for the United Nations, but what if the peacekeepers themselves are guilty of torture and unlawful killing? This shocking investigation reveals an uncomfortabletruth -- that two countries are sending human rights abusers on international peace-keeping missions. One of them, Bangladesh, sent more than 100 peacekeepers from a notorious battalion, including three who were involved in running a network of torture cells. This ground-breaking public interest journalism led to a political storm, sparked a commission of inquiry in Bangladesh and saw the abolition of the force under investigation.
Contribution to Civil Rights
First Prize Winner
Gabriela Ramirez, Tina Xu (Germany)
Widowed by Europe's Borders
This investigation explores the tragedy of the migration trail to Europe through the eyes of the women left behind. It reveals how families are devastated by the disappearance of loved ones and one woman’s long search for her husband’s body in the dense forests on Europe’s latest frontier in the migration crisis—the eastern border stretching across Lithuania, Poland and Belarus. It provides moving and extraordinary testimonies from families of the missing and deceased, as well as striking stories from the everyday civilians along the border who fill the gap of inaction from local, regional and European governments on locating and identifying bodies. Poignant and devastating, this report deserves the highest recognition. The report is part of the Border Graves Investigation.
Second Prize Winner
Katie McQue (USA)
Series on use of social media platforms to exploit and traffic children
Blake Montgomery, Tech Editor for Guardian US, accepting the award on behalf of Katie McQue
The digital revolution is a two-edged sword for humanity: it has made our lives easier and we are more connected than ever, but it has a dark side. This series highlights the human cost of online exploitation and abuse. It exposes the internet predators who are trafficking vulnerable children and how social media companies fail to provide protection
There is forensic examination of court documents, and detailed questioning of policymakers, law enforcement, child safety experts, and prosecutors. But, above all, the story radiates humanity in the reporter’s sensitive and compassionate telling of the story of victims and their parents.
Third Prize Winner
Will Coldwell (UK)
A Teenaged Migrant Piloted a Dinghy That Sank in the Channel. Then He Was Charged with Manslaughter
Reporting migration is one of the toughest tasks in journalism. It demands dedication to the truth to avoid the pollution of bias and malignant politics. This investigation from the UK tells the story of a young migrant jailed over the deaths that followed when the boat he was piloting sank at sea. The story, told in scrupulous detail, is of a teenager caught up in a tragedy not of his making and reveals a stark but simple truth: that he himself was a victim – of a hostile legal system and a rising tide of anti-immigrant feeling.
Outstanding Investigative Reporting
First Prize Winner
Alejandro Gómez Dugand, Alex Rufino, Andres Cardona, Barbara Fraser, Beatriz Jucá, Bram Ebus, Diane Sampaio, Emily Costa, Ivan Brehaut, Jaap van 't Kruis, Jeanneth Valdivieso, Jorge Benezra, Josefina Salomon, Joseph Poliszuk, Juan Torres, Juliana Rezende, Laura Kurtzberg, Leandro Barbosa, Luiz Fernando Toledo, Luiza Toledo, María Ramírez Cabello, Mariana Rios, Mary Carmen Vieira, Mathias Felipe, Nicoll Fonseca, Pamela Huerta, Rafael Ch Duran, Ronna Rísquez, Rodrigo Pedroso, Sam Cowie, Silvana Vincenti, Sinar Alvarado, Stefano Wrobleski, Tatiana Escárraga, Wagner Almeida
(Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, UK, US, Mexico, Netherlands, Argentina)
Amazon Underworld
Amazon Underworld is a breath-taking example of collaborative, courageous and trenchant journalism. It involves a team of around 40 journalists from 11 countries and exposes in vivid detail how armed groups, gangsters and drug runners are developing criminal economies across the Amazon. The journalists reveal, in meticulous detail, the threats facing local communities and the environmental damage being done to the precious rainforest. This is investigative reporting and data journalism at its best, combining in-depth investigations and involving more than 20 field trips. The results are stunning and raise the alarm about the crisis facing the world’s greatest natural treasure.
Second Prize Winner
Tom Cardoso, Robyn Doolittle, Mahima Singh and Ming Wong (Canada)
Secret Canada
Democracy and human rights are most at risk when governments operate in secret, which is why we need watchdog journalism to hold power to account. The Secret Canada investigative journalism project has exposed widespread failures in Canada's deeply dysfunctional freedom of information system. Faced with a lack of transparency at all levels of government, the journalists have forced government information sources to accept an unprecedented degree of scrutiny, providing media and the public with widespread access to previously hidden sources of documentation and information. The result is a fresh approach that aims to dramatically improve citizens’ access to information.
Third Prize Winner
Nicolas Pelham (UK)
The Baghdad Job: Who Was Behind History’s Biggest Bank Heist?
A spectacular robbery that saw $2.5 billion taken from Iraqi state banks in broad daylight led one reporter to investigate a murky world of political and criminal intrigue. His insightful reporting is an outstanding piece of investigative journalism that unravels the mystery of how history’s biggest bank robbery took place, and who was involved, including a suspect with links to a member of the prime minister’s team. It also provides an authoritative account of the complicated world of Iraqi politics and reveals the vulnerabilities of the banking industry in politically unstable countries and their implications for international trade.
Excellence in Environmental Journalism
Laura Aragó, Xavier Aldekoa (Spain)
RIP Mare Nostrum
The Mediterranean is a unique symbol of human civilisation – rich in classical history, the hub of European culture and trade and a playground for millions. But today it is one of the most threatened seas on the planet. This series of reports is a troubling voyage of discovery – visiting seven neighbouring countries to expose how climate change, overfishing, and pollution have created an unprecedented environmental crisis for Mare Nostrum. This innovative and fact-based journalism even targeted readers on vacation. By sounding the alarm over the future of one of our greatest treasures this reporting does a great service to humanity.
Second Prize Winner
Peter Waldman, Momar Niang and Katarina Höije (USA/ Senegal)
A Global Hunt for Water Profit Risks Draining Cities Dry
One key role for journalism is to protect vulnerable communities from ruthless and life threatening exploitation. This story is a shining example. It reveals how a Wall Street investment firm is manipulating precious and scarce freshwater that millions rely on in the West African state of Senegal. It is a poignant and moving story that also exposes a controversial businessman whose affairs are mired in allegations of corruption. It is in the best traditions of stylish and fact-based public interest journalism and has already led to positive change, prompting long-overdue official investigation into a scandal that touches the lives of millions.
Third Prize Winner
Fabian Federl (Brazil)
An Illegal Gold Mine for Switzerland
The dazzling story of gold is found in the art, economy, and culture of every civilization, but it has a dark side that is too rarely exposed. This year-long investigation is a compelling and detailed report on how the mining of gold is a source of misery for millions of people in some of the world’s poorest countries. It comes from a reporter who uniquely worked alongside Brazilian miners in French Guiana, revealing the harsh realities of illegal mining, and tracing how thiscriminal treasure finds its way to rich consumer markets in Europe, particularly Switzerland.
The full video and more photos of the awards ceremony will be available soon on FJA website.