Call for nominations: IPI-IMS 2025 press freedom awards
As threats to the free press grow globally, it’s never been more important to honour courage and resilience in journalism.
The International Press Institute (IPI) and IMS (International Media Support) are proud to announce the call for nominations for this year’s World Press Freedom Hero Award and Free Media Pioneer Award.
Both awards will be presented during a special ceremony at IPI’s 2025 World Congress, which will take place 23–25 October in Vienna. The Congress will also mark IPI’s 75th anniversary – a milestone occasion that will also highlight past heroes in journalism and press freedom.
Nominations for this year’s awards must be received by 30 April 2025 (23:59 CEST). As in previous years, award winners will be selected by a global expert jury.
Background
The World Press Freedom Hero Award honours journalists who have made significant contributions to the promotion of press freedom, particularly in the face of great personal risk.
Last year’s Hero award was given to Palestinian journalists covering the war in Gaza in recognition of their extraordinary courage in the most dire of circumstances.
Other past recipients include Carmen Aristegui, Anna Politkovskaya, Carlos Dada, Katherine Graham, Hrant Dink, Harold Evans and Veronica Guerin. See all past World Press Freedom Hero Award recipients.
The IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer Award is presented to organisations meeting the demands of the moment through innovative models of journalism, media or press freedom defence. They are opening up new ways of thinking about the free flow of information to strengthen independent journalism and meet the needs of their communities.
Last year’s award was presented to independent Kyrgyz news outlet Kloop for its fearless accountability journalism and dedication to fostering quality media and democratic ideals in Kyrgyzstan for nearly two decades.
Other past recipients include Myanmar Now, Rappler (Philippines), Medyascope (Turkey), the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee, The Wire (India) and the independent media of Ukraine. See all Free Media Pioneer award recipients.
How to nominate
IPI and IMS welcome nominations from around the world for the 2024 awards. Please send your nomination by 28 March (23:59 CEST) to info@ipi.media with the subject line “World Press Freedom Hero nomination” or “Free Media Pioneer nomination”, together with a brief description of the person or organisation you are nominating.
Nominations for the World Press Freedom Hero Award must be individuals. Nominations for the Free Media Pioneer Award can be individuals, teams or news outlets or other media-related organisations, including organisations that defend press freedom.
We look forward to your nominations – thank you for helping us spotlight the journalists and media defending our right to the news.
