Global Shining Light Award (up to US$2,500, and a trip Kuala Lumpur,)

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Applications are now open for the Global Shining Light Award 2025. This special prize celebrates brave journalists who uncover important stories in difficult and dangerous situations. The award is organized by the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), an international association of investigative journalism organizations that supports investigative reporters worldwide.

For 2025, the award is open to stories that were published or broadcast between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024. The final date to send in your work is February 28, 2025.

Background

Each year dozens of journalists and media workers are killed – and hundreds more are attacked, imprisoned or threatened – just for doing their job. Many of these violations of free expression occur in developing or emerging countries, and quite often during military conflicts. There are a number of international awards recognizing such attacks on freedom of expression.

But there is another clear trend that emerges in analyses of global attacks on reporters and the media. More and more journalists are being killed, and media outlets attacked, because they are carrying out important efforts in investigative journalism – exposing uncomfortable truths, shining light on systematic corruption, and providing accountability in societies yearning for democracy and development. More journalists are killed each year covering corruption and politics than are killed covering wars, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

On behalf of the global investigative journalism community, GIJN is pleased to recognize and celebrate these courageous investigative journalists and their work. Read more about the previous winners and their remarkable investigative stories below.

Global Shining Light Award Categories

There are two categories:

Small & Medium Outlets: For journalists working in organizations with 20 or fewer staff, including freelancers.
Large Outlets: For journalists working in organizations with more than 20 staff.

Judging Process

An international panel of judges, consisting of investigative journalism experts, will decide on the winner. The judges, in their discretion, may select more than one winner to recognize outstanding work.

Global Shining Light Award Prizes for Winners

Winners will receive:

An honorary plaque.
$2,500 (US Dollars) cash prize.
A fully-paid trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to attend the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference and accept the award.

Benefits of Applying

Be recognized by journalists around the world.
Get support and visibility for your work.
Connect with top investigative journalists at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference.

Eligibility Criteria for Global Shining Light Award

This award is for journalists, teams, or media outlets that meet these conditions:

Have story from a developing or transitioning country (also called the Global South).
The story must be investigative journalism (meaning it uncovered hidden truths, exposed corruption, or showed wrongdoing that harmed the public).
The story must have been published between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024.
The work was done under risk (for example, threats, violence, or pressure on the journalist or their family).

How to Apply for Global Shining Light Award

You need to submit a link to your story online. If your story is not available online, you can upload it to Google Drive or Dropbox and send the link.
If your story is not in English, you must include an English summary or English transcript.
Submit your application before February 28, 2025.

Click Here to Apply

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Application Deadline: February 28, 2025