Gallery of Winners for 2019

The Journalists’ Charity Special Award celebrates outstanding commitment and contribution to journalism.

Founded more than a hundred and fifty years ago to help journalists struggling in tough times, the Journalists’ Charity now supports more individuals than ever through stress, anxiety and a range of other conditions related to mental health – one of the biggest issues of our time. This year’s winner is a journalist who has opened up about her own deeply personal journey through mental illness, sharing insights into her battles with addiction, OCD and depression through her columns, podcasts and books. Our winner has worked to champion a new culture of openness; raising awareness, challenging stereotypes, and showing that mental illness knows no boundaries – that even royalty is not immune. Our winner is the founder of a nationwide mental health support group, she is the runner of marathons in her underwear. Our winner is Bryony Gordon.

The winner is Megan Lucero of the Bureau Local.

WIJ said:

The Georgina Henry Award celebrates innovation in digital journalism – we are delighted to give the prize this year to Megan Lucero of the Bureau Local who is using sophisticated digital data gathering techniques to enhance grassroots local reporting. WIJ salutes her data-driven public interest reporting and how it is contributing stories to newsrooms across the UK. Lucero has built a unique community of reporters, data experts, open data champions and more who are passionate about local journalism and the role it plays in holding power to account. Bureau Local’s investigations into domestic violence, homelessness and The Housing Crisis are causes close to Georgina’s heart and she would heartily approve of the Bureau Local winning this prize.

Highly commended is Dr Frances Ryan.

This is work that has been instrumental in redefining disability reporting in Britain. She seeks to expose injustice and elevate the personal and unique voices of those so often marginalised. 

The judges said that the winner submitted three stories which truly set the agenda in politics in 2019. His contacts are clearly brilliant, especially for such a new reporter, and the stories are then backed up and expanded with care and precision. His Rabbi scoop set the agenda. Young Journalist of the Year for 2019 is Henry Zeffman of The Times.

A number of judges said that they welled up reading his interviews with familiar figures hit by grief. Excellent throughout, highly commended young journalist is Adam Crafton of The Athletic UK. 

Judges called her an incomparable and entertaining writer, who is the “best in the business” and absolutely “should win again”. Winner of Interview of the Year for popular papers is Jan Moir of the Daily Mail.

The highly commended entry showed real compassion and responsibility in working with his subject to break the stigma around HIV. Highly commended is the Sunday Mirror’s Patrick Hill.

Judges said a diverse range of interview subjects, sensitivity to detail and pristine writing made this winner the standout entry. No interviewee was off limits, including turning the gaze on the king of the broadcast interview itself. Interviewer of the Year for the broadsheets is Janice Turner of The Times.

Highly commended for maintaining her record of achieving hard-to-get interviews and nailing her character studies is Chrissy Iley of The Sunday Times Magazine.

This winner was described by judges as a “must-listen”. Both entertaining and illuminating, this podcast offered a showreel of “A-list” world stars with revelations to match: the episode featuring Madonna subsequently made headlines. The Lifestyle Podcast of the Year is ‘The Dan Wootton Interview’ by The Sun.

There are two highly commended entries this year: one for its hilarious sporting anecdotes and the other for inspiring stories of female leaders in male-dominated fields. Highly commended are The Sun Football Podcast and the Evening Standard’s Women Tech Charge.

This winner leads in a crowded field of political podcasts, with an engaging and witty host who puts politicians at their ease for the listeners to feel as if you’re round the kitchen table with them – and it succeeds triumphantly. News Podcast of the Year is The Times’s Red Box.

Judges lauded the sound editing and investment into the production of this series to shine through as a quality piece of work on the stories of tech world. Highly commended is Tales of Silicon Valley by The Sunday Times.

The judges said that the winner’s work was vital reporting that was engaging and life-changing. He produced a piece on Huntingdon’s Disease that was not only fascinating and brilliantly written but incorporated the views of researchers, patients and health workers in assessing the hopes and prospects of tackling this truly terrible condition. The winner of Science Reporter of the Year is Robin McKie of The Observer.

The highly commended entry covered the anniversary of the Apollo moon landing, the science of ‘senolytics’ and plans for Britain to send tourists into space. Highly commended is Sarah Knapton at The Telegraph.

The judges said that he broke what was quite simply the biggest showbiz story of the year. His scoop on the Jeremy Kyle Show suicide set the agenda for weeks. The winner of Showbiz Reporter of the Year is Simon Boyle, The Sun.

The judges said that her interview with the Liam Gallagher clan was executed with real verve and a bumper dose of exclusive lines. The highly commended entry is Krissi Murison at The Sunday Times Magazine.

Judges praised this winner’s painstaking and in-depth reporting that highlights the social wrongs and lost voices of Britain. The entry included an outstanding piece of journalism exposing the dehumanisation of benefit claimants, whose claims were being processed by robots and a podcast which focused on the impact of youth centres being shut down in London. Specialist Journalist of the Year is Robert Booth of The Guardian. 

Thorough and significant scoops which hit the front pages and covered topics from domestic terrorism to the leaking of the Grenfell Tower inquiry report. Highly commended is Robert Mendick of The Daily Telegraph.

The winner was praised for her ability to spark inspiration in a range of forms: from interviews to her ever-authoritative and entertaining columns. Described as the ‘Queen’ by one judge, the Fashion Journalist of the Year is Lisa Armstrong of The Daily Telegraph.

Judges commended this entrant’s humour, especially when faced with interviewing the icon of fashion, Anna Wintour. Highly commended is Jess Cartner-Morley at The Guardian.

This year’s winner truly brought environmental reporting to a wider readership, providing front page after front page of exclusives. Her work undercover about tourist trophy hunting holidays resulted in a campaign that was praised in parliament. The Environment Journalist of the Year is Nada Farhoud of the Daily Mirror.

This highly commended entry’s investigation into the air pollution on the London Underground exposed TfL’s short-fallings and resulted in real, tangible change. Highly commended is Leslie Hook of the Financial Times.

This year the judges decided that they couldn’t choose between two photographers so we have joint winners of Photographer of the Year for 2019. The judges said that the dedication of our first winner to capture a picture that tells the story is hugely admirable. Lawson’s image of Liverpool celebrating was just superb. Our second winner showcased the defining moments of the year. Fantastic and insightful, Mok’s submission included a great image of an Extinction Rebellion protester being dragged off by the police – it was an image widely used.

The joint winners of Photographer of the Year for 2019, both from PA Media, are Danny Lawson and Yui Mok.

The judges said that the highly commended entrant goes beyond taking a great picture and instead tells a story through her pictures. Well done to Hannah McKay of Reuters.

The judges said that the winner produced a portfolio which captures sports’ intensity, spontaneity and fun. His image of canoeist Mallory Franklin larking about in the water is truly memorable. The winner of Sports Photographer of the Year is Richard Pelham of The Sun.

The highly commended entry included fantastic photos. His Anthony Joshua photo captures unbridled elation and his Fury image is great. Highly commended is Kevin Quigley of the Daily Mail.

The judges said that 2019 provided fertile ground in which his comic genius could flourish. His Lowry cartoon was simply superb. The winner of Cartoonist of the Year is Matt Pritchett of The Telegraph.

One of judges said that they struggled to get the Boris cartoon out of their head. Highly commended is Chris Riddell of The Observer.

This winner offers fantastic storytelling that gives the reader a real insight into the cultural significance of the areas he visits. Travel Journalist of the Year is Chris Haslam of The Sunday Times.

Judges praised the fascinating topics chosen. This entrant could even convince his readers to visit a nuclear disaster zone! Highly commended is Greg Dickinson of The Telegraph.

This journalist has produced some outstanding scoops in 2019. Our winner has had another extraordinary year in foreign reporting. The Shamima Begum story alone had worldwide ramifications and still does. A journalist who is no stranger to these awards, and deservedly so, the Foreign Reporter of the Year is Anthony Loyd of The Times.

Brave and varied reporting. The heart-breaking stories she produced from inside Zimbabwe and the brutal cobalt mines of the DRC show poignant, impactful journalism at its best. Our highly commended entrant is Christina Lamb for The Sunday Times.

For coverage of one of the most shocking health scandals of recent times – the exclusive investigation into the scale of maternity care failures in the Shrewsbury trust. Health Journalist of the Year is The Independent’s Shaun Lintern.

They were thorough and compelling investigations that secured compelling information to ring alarm bells about the state of NHS performance. Highly commended is Laura Donnelly of The Daily Telegraph.

The winner produced a truly agenda-setting scoop that continues to have impact months down the line. The range of journalistic skills required report the investigation into Saracens rugby club’s salary cap breach are highly impressive. The winner of the Hugh McIlvanney Award for Sports Journalist of the Year is Laura Lambert of the Daily Mail.

Compelling and beautifully written interviews were consistently delivered. Judges described the Brian Clough tale as a genuine revelation. Highly commended is The Athletic UK’s Daniel Taylor.

He has been dubbed as the best political reporter on Fleet Street, with a lengthy series of great scoops and in-depth analyses of the issues that mattered in Westminster in 2019. Tim Shipman of The Sunday Times is winner of the Political Reporter of the Year.

His stories are top class, and his analysis excellent. Judges described him as an all-round top reporter, including bringing leading coverage of Britain’s 5G deal with Huawei. Highly commended is Steven Swinford, The Times.

Nobody is immune from the genius approach our winner takes to expose Westminster’s key protagonists. During a tumultuous and exhausting year, this journalist has given a much-needed injection of humour into politics. The Political Commentator of the Year for 2019 is Marina Hyde of The Guardian.

His long reads have been described by our judges as ‘incomparable’. He is well-researched, with a nose for top-notch sourcing, The Sunday Times’ Tim Shipman is our highly commended political commentator.

Judges praised the impressive portfolio of this year’s winner, with investigations that are pursued with great ambition and conviction. Not fazed by getting straight into the field to gain evidence, these features regularly made the front pages – from people-smuggling gangs to showing how crack is as easy to order as pizza. Feature Writer of the Year for popular papers is Oliver Harvey of The Sun.

In an extremely competitive category, this entrant’s intensive research and quality of writing, particularly in his exposé of the dysfunctional governance of the RSPCA raised him above the rest. Highly commended is Guy Adams of the Daily Mail.

Famed as a frontline war reporter, this year’s winner demonstrates she is also a fine writer of features which are brought from the fringes of danger. Feature Writer of the Year for broadsheets is Christina Lamb of The Sunday Times Magazine.

Readers were so moved by her accounts of children in poverty that they put their hands in their pockets to contribute to a £1million Christmas appeal. Highly commended is The Sunday Times Magazine’s Sharon Hendry.

Taken together, the winning pieces demonstrate the need for specialist technology journalists to shine a light on the conflicts of big tech and privacy. The winner is Alex Hern of The Guardian.

The exclusive on surveillance in Kings Cross via facial recognition was a vital piece of public-interest journalism. Highly commended is Madhumita Murgia of the Financial Times.  

Described by judges as a ‘game-changer’ in its field; this is an entry that is really making a difference to the types of stories commissioned for mainstream publications. Tackling big issues that affect women of all backgrounds in sport, from dealing with motherhood as an athlete to endometriosis. The Reporting Diversity Award goes to Telegraph Women’s Sport.

Bringing experience and journalistic gravitas to a topic that would never otherwise been covered, this entrant presents investigative long-reads and first-person confessions with equal impact. Lifting the lid on the cruelties of abusive detention for people with autism and learning disabilities has uncovered a national scandal. Highly commended is Ian Birrell of The Mail on Sunday.

The winning entry cast aspersions on the standing of the highest financial institution in England. Described as the journalist who perfectly captures the national economic view, the Business and Finance Journalist of the Year is Philip Aldrick of The Times. 

Judges described the highly commended entry as a ‘huge coup’ for a UK newspaper to break. For his work revealing the departure of Jony Ive from Apple; highly commended is Tim Bradshaw of the Financial Times.

Judges described the winner as the ‘critic’s critic’. With over 48 years in the profession, this year’s work included a stunning feature on his 10,000 nights at the theatre. This year, he is stepping down from the unofficial role as Britain’s most-loved and revered of critics: the Critic of the Year is The Guardian’s Michael Billington.

For writing that has personality, flavour and depth, highly commended is Marina O’Loughlin of The Sunday Times Magazine.

This year’s winner had an inside view that nobody could rival. Dependable for politically meaty columns, as well as the deeply personal, this winner’s column on her husband Michael Gove’s cocaine habit was compelling, brave and led to stormy debate in the wider media. Popular Columnist of the Year is Sarah Vine of the Daily Mail.

The highly commended entrant possesses an instinctive ability to reflect the sentiments of her readers and the wider public. Highly commended is the Daily Mail’s Jan Moir.

The winner was described by judges as an extraordinary columnist who always used her creative talent and journalistic integrity to help the vulnerable and exploited in society. The British press and its readers are sadly now poorer without this shrewd voice of humanity. The Broadsheet Columnist of the Year posthumously goes to the i’s Deborah Orr.

For writing that is complete in its mastery of satire and creativity, highly commended is Giles Coren of The Times.

The judges said that this entry was a shining example of brave, tenacious journalism which overcame concerted legal attempts to cover up the shocking behaviour of one of Britain’s business titans. The winner of Scoop of the Year is Sir Philip Green and Britain’s #MeToo scandal, The Daily Telegraph.

One judge said that it was a story that rival editors would have sold their grannies for. It sparked a lively debate on how we should treat radicalised young Britons. Highly commended is Shamima Begum: Anthony Loyd interview, The Times.

The judges said that the work of this team dominated front pages and inside spreads for weeks to come. A diligent investigation that showed the power of a team being given the time and resources to go after a story. The winner of Scoop of the Year: Popular is The Prime Minister and the American businesswoman, The Sunday Times.

The judges said that it was the interview that everyone wanted which led to a Royal apology and forced Prince Philip to hang up his driving gloves. Highly commended is Prince Philip Crash Victim by the Sunday Mirror.

The judges described it as a brave investigation into a powerful man the consequences of which were far reaching and agenda setting. The fact that a Parliamentary inquiry into the use of NDAs was launched in the wake of the allegations and the Government condemned the “unacceptable” use of legal contracts to cover up wrongdoing meant that what started out as an investigation into one powerful and abusive man had far reaching consequences for many ordinary women. A shining example of public interest journalism. The winner is Sir Philip Green and the British #MeToo Scandal, The Daily Telegraph.

It was an investigation that was breath-taking in its scope and diligence. An issue of huge public interest that revealed a scandal at the heart of an institution we should trust the most. Highly commended is the ‘Nick’ Investigation by the Daily Mail.

An outstanding investigation that resonated throughout the year and beyond – producing swift and far-reaching results. The offending club was hit by the most severe punishment ever imposed by Premiership Rugby. Judges were completely unanimous in their decision: Sports News Story of the Year goes to Saracens by the Daily Mail.

This exposé was the result of a meticulous long-running investigation into a trusted athletics coach whose practices made for uncomfortable reading. Highly commended is Alberto Salazar Doping Ban by Matt Lawton of The Times.

Unusually this year, the judges decide to award the News Reporter of the Year accolade to two journalists. The first, they said, had an all-round fantastic year. From daring undercover investigations that smashed criminal gangs tormenting vulnerable Britons, to exposing cover-ups by multinationals putting lives at risk and uncovering Government-sanctioned pension scams fleecing tens of thousands of families, his reporting had a significant impact. The investigation and background work that went into exposing fake taxmen was a brilliant piece of journalism.

The second winner also had a great year. On her main piece of work, the judges said that it was undoubtedly one of the biggest stories of 2019. Not only did it shine a light on the issue of NDAs being used to cover up unacceptable behaviour, it exposed wrongdoing by a powerful individual despite his best and lengthy attempts to thwart publication.

The joint winners of News Reporter of the Year for 2019 are Tom Kelly of the Daily Mail and Claire Newell of The Daily Telegraph.

The judges said that the highly commended entry held Scotland Yard to account by continuing to expose one of the most shameful episodes in its recent history. Well done to Stephen Wright of the Daily Mail for his coverage of the Carl Beech scandal.

The Woodford scandal was the number one finance story of the year, and the FT team consistently led the coverage on the fund’s downfall. Its research and endless information gathering paid off with a series of agenda-setting exclusives on the story. The winner is Woodford’s downfall, Financial Times.

The judges decided to highly commend two entries. They are The Sunday Times Business & Money Team and The Telegraph’s Business and Finance Team.

The judges said that the winner tackles the imbalance of sports coverage with finesse, breadth and impressive journalism. The features are well-written, wide-ranging, and tackle issues that might otherwise go uncovered. Those featured in the supplement are diverse in every sense of the word, from all different types of sport, and from different racial, social, and religious backgrounds. A refreshing read, regardless of gender, the judges thought that it should be more than a monthly supplement. The winner is Telegraph Women’s Sport.

The judges said that the strength of the highly commended entry is that it always feels fresh and alert. Alongside fantastic content it boasts sharp-eared-and-eyed critics. Highly commended is The New Review, The Observer.

The judges said that the winner continues to be a must-read. Entertaining and intelligent, it is consistent at delivering both style and substance. The mix is perfect, it makes the reader feel good, the columnists are consistently excellent and the writing is intelligent, funny and personality driven. The winner is The Times Magazine.

The new direction of this magazine has been transformative and not only has it set the agenda with some of its celebrity interviews, its new look makes it fresh, modern and a real standout in this category. Highly commended is The Telegraph Magazine.

The judges said that the winning front page was worth the wait. Combining the full width of the broadsheet with a neat creative solution to project its splash it succeeded in achieving maximum impact. The image of Sir Philip Green superimposed over the silhouette of a victim was a powerful image. The winner is The Daily Telegraph.

The highly commended entry was a smart and emotive way to deliver a vital climate change message with a punchy ‘green’ edition. Well done to Give me a world I can grow up in by the Daily Mirror.

After a four year fight to gain access to vital medications, the Daily Express ensured victory for cystic fibrosis sufferers and also raised awareness of the disease. Winner of Cudlipp Award for Campaign of the Year is Time to end Cystic Fibrosis drug scandal, Daily Express.

Well done to the runner-up for the Cudlipp award: the Daily Mail’s Save our Post Offices. Its most significant victory resulted in a £58m settlement for local post office workers wrongly accused of stealing by the government.

After three years of dedicated campaigning, this year saw the reform of the organ donation law. Highly commended is the Daily Mirror’s Change the Law for Life campaign.

This year the first newspaper website to launch in Europe led the way with a cracking relaunch to mark its 25^th anniversary. Judges praised the authoritative and inventive coverage as a hard combination to beat – and as the reason why this news site is seeing consistent growth with its engaged readers via newsletter, WhatsApp, or subscription. Delivering on subjects dear to its readers’ hearts through its most innovative of interfaces, winner of News Website of the Year is The Telegraph.

With the ability to be both big and small online, this site is able to drill down deeply into communities and at the same time deliver a landscape view. Always ahead in the way it drew in its readers’ voices, it has built on this with flagship podcasts, interactives and live blogs. For an impressive performance for 2019, highly commended is theguardian.com.

Leading the way from scoops to sports, this paper had excellent exclusives and input from impressive figures. From the Washington Files’ leaked secret ambassador cables to the analysis of Prince Andrew’s links to Jeffrey Epstein, scoop after scoop turned out. Judges coined it the undoubted agenda-setter of the year – it was the most read and the most profitable Sunday newspaper during 2019. The Sunday Newspaper of the Year is The Mail on Sunday.

A great all-round package with each supplement adding value, interest, and entertainment. Its unmissable exclusives, highlighted by the Operation Yellowhammer report, were consistently delivered and each time offered a new surprise. Highly commended is The Sunday Times.

At the top of its game, this is a paper that understand its readers. Judges praised the fantastic set of campaigns and exclusives, including the investigation into fantasist ‘Nick’ – Carl Beech. Its columnists have a front row seat to the conversations and insights everyone wants to be privy to: Michael Gove’s cocaine confession knocked him out of the Tory leadership race. Offerings include Britain’s best read TV magazine – Weekend, a revamped Femail section, and award-winning sports coverage of one of the biggest scandals to ever hit premiership rugby.  These assertions are all backed by this year’s staggering, record-breaking circulation figures. Daily Newspaper of the Year for 2019 is the Daily Mail.   

A powerful combination of campaigning, wry storytelling and opinion with readers at the heart of their thinking. Still going strong at 50 years old, the judges praised the brilliant entertainment and commended its fundraising. Highly commended is The Sun.