It's one of those points in the annual media calendar that early-career journalists await on the edge of their seats - and the moment has arrived.
We can now announce the shortlist for this year's Young Journalist Award - and what an exciting bunch this group is. As we navigate major global challenges from the pandemic to the climate emergency, the shortlist is a reminder of the powerful contribution journalists can make.
Supported by the UK's Foreign Press Association (FPA), Thomson Foundation has been searching for talent from around the world since 2013 and its Young Journalist Award enjoys a reputation as the premier prize for up-and-coming journalists from emerging economies.
Championing the woman leading the fight against climate change in El Salvador, documenting the dark and unsettling realities of child marriage in India and highlighting the transgender community being shut out of Malaysia's healthcare system are some of the stories told by the 10 talented journalists shortlisted for this year's award.
The Young Journalist Award enjoys a reputation as the premier prize for up-and-coming journalists.
The 10 have been selected by the foundation's judging panel, Helen Scott, Deborah Kelly and Hosam El Nagar, from nearly 200 entries from 55 countries. After the next rounds of judging, the winner will be announced on 29th November at the FPA Awards ceremony in London, which will also be live-streamed on our Facebook page.
For now, scroll down to meet the candidates, discover why the judges were drawn to each of them and decide on your favourite.
Illustration by Mahima Jain for her piece, No One Knows About Me. India's Left-Behind' Women
Carmen Valeria Escobar Castillo, El Salvador The judges particularly liked the story of environmental campaigner, Sonia Sanchez, whose fight illustrated the real problems in El Salvador. The piece was well written and structured and took the reader to the heart of the issues. Carmens other stories were about the textile workers turning a warehouse into a feminist space and the chilling case of the murdered and the missing Lima family.
Parth Nikhil, India Parth's stories revealed the devastating personal and financial consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic in rural India and the judges were impressed by his investigation into child brides being married off as young as 12 to save families' money. His third story was about how the climate crisis is hurting farmers.
Samad Uthman, Nigeria One of Samad's pieces featured a timely story on a drug trial that went wrong 24 years previously. He caught up with the uncompensated victims and pieced together what had gone wrong in a meticulous investigation. Samads other stories were about the retirees being denied their pensions and the underserved communities drinking from dirty streams.
Shrouk Ghonim, Egypt Judges praised the brave and moving film from Shrouk about a transgender teacher's fight to be accepted; her approach to the Covid-19 story, by profiling the experiences of eight health workers living in fear but doing their duty, was similarly impressive. Her third story was about a major campaign to clean up the Nile.
Daniel Lutaaya, Uganda Daniel went undercover to expose child trafficking in rural villages. His investigation into the Ugandan private health system exposed a series of shortcomings and exploitations of patients and families desperate for care during the Covid-19 pandemic. Another of his stories documented the rate of human encroachment on Lake Victoria.
Kai Hui Wong, Malaysia Kai investigated corruption and environmental mismanagement in a waste disposal business, as well as trans-rights in Malaysian hospitals, showing a range of skills. She also documented the controversial mining operations linked to Pahang royalty.
Tatiana Pardo Ibarra, Colombia Judges praised Tatiana's investigation on a trio of stories; the illegal raising of beef cattle in protected areas, the sale of illegal shark fins and how indigenous people are at the mercy of gangs. All thorough and well written.
Md. Ibrahim Khalilullah, Bangladesh Ibrahim put himself in the picture in his video investigation into the lack of public toilet facilities in Dhaka (transcriptions available here). The judges liked his approach and felt the story was fresh and original. His other two stories were about the pure water crisis and water ATM booths.
Mahima Jain, India Mahima reported on the women left behind with no land rights by migrant husbands. It was thoroughly researched, a very human story and well presented. Her investigation into domestic violence worsening during the Covid-19 pandemic was similarly impressive. Mahima also presented a podcast episode about Indias farm laws and the threats to biodiversity as part of her portfolio of work.
Zuha Siddiqui, Pakistan Zuha's trio of stories - a trans TikTok star trading the sidelines for the spotlight, an investigation into a fake vaccine programme by the CIA during the hunt for Bin Laden which has led to vaccine hesitancy, and a look at new biodiverse farming methods - show great range and flair.
What happens next?
Congratulations to our 10 shortlisted entrants. It's now over to independent judges selected by the FPA - Inigo Gurruchaga of El Correo in Spain; Niaz Alam of Dhaka Tribune in Bangladesh; and Tinne Hjersing Knudsen of DR Nyheder in Denmark - to select three finalists to go through to the final round of judging.
The chosen three will be profiled on our website at the beginning of November and receive learning bursaries to the value of £1,000 each.
#TFYoungJournalist
We are all affected by environmental issues and commend the shortlisted journalists who took the environmental theme in various directions.
And there are other names to note
This year, our Young Journalist Award took aim at the
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
10/09/2026
Harmonic Leads the New Era of Broadband Connectivity at SCTE TechExpo 2026 Showcase Spotlights Include:
New cOS SensAI intelligence fabric unleashing data-pow...
10/09/2026
RT to Broadcast Amgen Irish Open free-to-air
New multi-year agreement will see RT continue to bring the Amgen Irish Open to Irish audiences
Ryder Cup hig...
10/09/2026
More than 30 women report allegations of sexual harassment, misogyny and bullying within National Ambulance Service
Tonight on RT Prime Time, 9:35pm, RT One ...
10/09/2026
Series 3 of Nero's Class begins Friday 11 September on RT Listen
The third...
09/09/2026
New parts aimed at hip-hop and pop productions
The latest update to Celemony's innovative virtual session musician expands the collection of built-in in...
09/09/2026
Save up to 40% until 21 September 2026
Sonarworks are currently running their Autumn Sale, with discounts of up to 40% currently available across their rang...
09/09/2026
Upcoming title officially launches in September 2026
Bjooks' celebrations for this year's 909 Day will be welcome news amongst drum machine lovers, ...
09/09/2026
September 9 2026, 22:35 (PDT) Cinema Sunshine Becomes Japan's First Exhibit...
09/09/2026
Wednesday 9 September 2026
Tom Daley adds final stitch to giant Baa-Ewe' t...
09/09/2026
Red Seat Ventures Integrates Barometer into Speakeasy to Maximize Podcast Revenu...
09/09/2026
Baselight-powered color comes natively to Media Composer, connecting creative de...
09/09/2026
RT brings three packed days of live radio, entertainment, news, weather and fun
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, Oliver Callan, Today with David McCullagh,...
08/09/2026
Built for rap producers, by rap producers
Sauceware Audio, the independent plug-in company founded by Grammy-nominated producer Jacob (Travis Scott, 21 Sava...
08/09/2026
Classic Sound Techniques design revived
Warm Audio's latest release delivers a meticulous recreation of the preamp circuitry employed by the Sound Techn...
08/09/2026
Latest soft synth inspired by the Memorymoog
XILS Lab have just launched a software instrument that draws its inspiration from Moog's iconic Memorymoog,...
08/09/2026
September 08, 2026 NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Soundcraft today announced the launch of its Signature Plus Series Analog Connected Mixing Consoles. As the next genera...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Sky Go gets a major upgrade for Sky Glass and Sky Stream customers
Today, Sky launches a new version of the Sky Go app for Sky Glass ...
08/09/2026
Documentary thriller simulating a Russian attack on UK soil will culminate in a live final episode reuniting the playersTuesday 8 September 2026
Trailer releas...
08/09/2026
Tuesday 8 September 2026
Jamie Demetriou and Amelia Dimoldenberg to host next t...
08/09/2026
Wuppertal September 8, 2026
Riedel Introduces New OnAir Headset PlatformRiedel Communications today announced the launch of its new OnAir headset platform, a...
08/09/2026
BERLIN, September 8, 2026 - J nger Audio will introduce a major expansion of its flexAI audio processing platform at IBC 2026. The flexAI system adds autonomous...
08/09/2026
New Vendor-Agnostic Broadband Intelligence Fabric Reduces Operational Complexity and Improves Service Quality for Broadband Service Providers SAN JOSE, Calif. -...
08/09/2026
Arvato Systems Brings TI Expertise to the Stage
Panels, workshops, and real-world examples at the TI-SUMMIT 2026
Arvato Systems, a partner of the TI-SUMMIT 2...
08/09/2026
On October 1, Apple Arcade is rolling out a lineup of fun new games for players ...
07/09/2026
Two new full-range, flat-response cabinets introduced
HeadRush have recently introduced a pair of new full-range, flat-response cabinets designed for player...
07/09/2026
Answering questions about AI in game audio
GameSoundCon, the largest professional conference for video game music and sound design, have announced that they...
07/09/2026
New directional headset mic on show at IBC
Just ahead of this week's IBC show, DPA have announced the launch of a new directional headset that's bee...
07/09/2026
We are not building systems to replace human decision-making; we are building systems that execute our decisions at machine speed. The media companies that win ...
07/09/2026
Every day, we rely on products to work safely, from the power bank in your bag to the solar panels on rooftops. Behind that trust is a process called conformity...
07/09/2026
Monday 7 September 2026
Freddie Meredith joins cast of SNL UK ahead of start of Season 2
Freddie Meredith Images
ZIP (3MB)
Saturday Night Live UK announces ...
07/09/2026
Monday 7 September 2026
Sky and NFTS team up to launch new routes into screen careers
Sky has today announced a new apprenticeship programme, with application...
07/09/2026
Monday 7 September 2026
Sky Sports announces most comprehensive NFL coverage to...
07/09/2026
Dolby, MainConcept, Techex and J nger Audio will showcase the industry's first demonstration of Serial Audio Definition Model (S-ADM) in a cloud-based produ...
07/09/2026
dB Broadcast will showcase APIS Hive, its software platform for designing, deploying and managing modern broadcast infrastructures, at IBC 2026.
Developed from...
07/09/2026
552,000 streams on RT Player
The historic fight, which saw Katie Taylor become...
06/09/2026
Recreates Rolands TB-303 & MC-202
BS-203 MacroAcidizer is the first virtual instrument from Born Second, and it offers a recreation of two Roland classics -...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
05/09/2026
MK2 & Bass system control app improved
HEDD Audio have just launched a new and improved version of the control software that pairs with their MK2 and Bass m...
04/09/2026
Media organisations interested in the Media Innovation Europe 3.0 Business Innovation Synergizer (BIS) can now consult a new FAQ document providing additional a...
04/09/2026
Powerful new soft synth announced
Traveler is the first software instrument to be released by KeySolutions Sounds, and it's an ambitious one! Said to co...
04/09/2026
Free virtual instrument range expanded
The latest expansion of e-instruments' free Fragments series introduces a packed-down version of the company'...
04/09/2026
Company recognised for second time
Two years after winning an Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award for dxRevive Pro, Accentize have been recognised ...
04/09/2026
Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...
04/09/2026
RT ANNOUNCE NEW DRAMA THE MURDER OF MR. MOONLIGHT
BASED ON THE DISAPPEARANCE...
03/09/2026
Yospace will be at IBC from 11th - 14th September (booth 5.C78). For more inform...
03/09/2026
Create musical synth bass sounds from scratch
Anthony Marinelli Music have recently announced the launch of Bass DNA, a new online course that teaches music...
It's one of those points in the annual media calendar that early-career journalists await on the edge of their seats - and the moment has arrived. 
