The results are in! After sifting through a flood of outstanding entries, the judges have chosen the winners of the Freelance Journalism Awards 2025. If you didn’t win this year, don’t worry—there’s always 2026.

🏆 Best Specialist Journalist
Winner: Rebecca Pitcairn
Rebecca, a regional journalist turned wine writer, impressed judges with her passion and quality reporting on the UK’s wine industry. She also hosts “The English Wine Diaries” podcast.

🏆 Best News Story
Winner: Hannah Fearn for The Lead
Hannah’s powerful story on lockdown in child prisons stood out for its impact and writing.
Highly Commended: Rachael Healy (The Guardian) for her exposé on workplace issues at Strictly.

🏆 Best Feature
Winner: Harriet Grant
Harriet’s deep dive into the impact of porn algorithms on young people was praised for its research and persistence.

🏆 Best Investigation
Winner: Will Coldwell (The Guardian)
Will’s investigation into the death of an offshore worker raised important questions about industry safety.
Highly Commended: Will Neal (Byline Times) for uncovering Moscow’s ties to Georgia.

🏆 Best Opinion Writer/Columnist
Winner: Hannah Fearn (again!)
Hannah’s columns on social affairs were called “well-researched and passionately argued.”
Highly Commended: Olivia Petter (The Independent) for her writing on women’s issues.

🏆 Best Early Career Journalist
Winner: Yvette Cook (Adventure.com)
Yvette’s evocative piece on tourism and women in Saudi Arabia inspired her own career change.
Highly Commended: Antonia Langford for her reporting on Russian exiles in Georgia.

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Marcela Kunova
Marcela Kunova

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