(May 5, 2026) - Congratulations to winners and finalists in the 2025 IRE Awards. The annual contest showcases exemplary work by members of Investigative Reporters and Editors from the past year.

Awards will be presented at the 2026 IRE Conference in National Harbor on Friday, June 19, during the Awards Luncheon.

Since 1979, the IRE Awards have recognized outstanding watchdog journalism. The IRE Contest Committee selected this year’s winners from more than 450 entries across 23 categories.

"This year’s contest shows just how vital investigative journalism is here at home and around the globe," said IRE Contest Committee Chair Walter Smith Randolph. "As newsrooms shrink and threats to press freedom increase, we must stay dedicated to holding the powerful accountable and exposing wrongdoing, and that’s exactly what our winners and finalists did through their reporting over the past year. From tracking an international poisonous lead trade to challenging life-threatening practices at federal agencies, this year’s contest shows our work is needed now more than ever."

Winners and finalists

Tom Renner Award

Winner — IRE Medal for Outstanding Crime Reporting: “The Blue Wave and Chickengate: An investigative reporting team exposes new scandals at a notorious Mississippi sheriff’s department” — Mississippi Today, Reveal, The New York Times, and PRX

by Najib Aminy, Sarah Cohen, Brian Howey, Mukta Joshi, Jerry Mitchell, Steph Quinn, and Nate Rosenfield

Judges' comments:
“This team of journalists from four news organizations tackled law and disorder in Rankin County, Mississippi for three years. They exposed the abuses of the sheriff’s Goon Squad, misuse of tasers, an inmate’s suspicious death and a new sheriff who used deputies and inmates for work on his mother’s chicken farm. The reports are a praiseworthy product of teamwork and persistence. The characters seem like they’re from Central Casting, and the stories read as if they belong in an Elmore Leonard novel.”  

Winner — IRE Medal for Outstanding Crime Reporting: “The Lundin Case – Silence Every Witness” - TV4 Sweden, Kalla fakta

by Carolina Jemsby, Anna Roxvall, Lovisa Thuresson, and Gerda Nilsson-Tysklind. Additional photography by Daniel Gökinan. 

Judges' comments:
“Kudos to TV4 Sweden, Kalla fakta, for its courageous investigation of witness tampering, six deaths and a rape on behalf of a major Swedish oil company charged with war crimes in Sudan. Risking personal safety in the face of threats, the reporters traveled abroad to find victims, interview witnesses and confront alleged perpetrators. As a result of their tireless efforts and findings, Swedish prosecutors reopened their closed obstruction-of-justice probe. The reporters’ bravery is reminiscent of the legendary Tom Renner, this award’s namesake.” 

Finalists: “KARE 11 Investigates: Housing Hustle” — KARE 11

by A.J. Lagoe, Kelly Dietz, Gary Knox, Steve Eckert, David Peterlinz, Chad Nelson, Tommy Platek, Nicole Borman, Lou Raguse, and Danny Spewa

Judges' comments:
“‘The Housing Hustle’ focused on a web of companies running a fraud scheme that took advantage of homeless people who tried to obtain housing. KARE 11 not only documented the scheme, but it also revealed a state agency’s failure to stop wrongdoing that it was aware of. Its story was part of a multi-year probe of Medicaid fraud in Minnesota.”

IRE FOI Award

Winner — IRE Medal: “Rx Roulette: The FDA’s Dangerous Game on America’s Drugs” — ProPublica with supplemental reporting by students with the Medill Investigative Lab.

by Debbie Cenziper, Megan Rose, Brandon Roberts, Irena Hwang, Nick McMillan, Ruth Talbot, Kevin Uhrmacher, Ken Schwencke and Patricia Callahan of ProPublica, freelancers Vidya Krishnan, Haajrah Gilani, Emma McNamee, Julian Andreone, Isabela Lisco, Aidan Johnstone, Megija Medne, Yiqing Wang, Phillip Powell, Gideon Pardo, Casey He, Lindsey Byman, Josh Sukoff, Kunjal Bastola, Shae Lake, Alyce Brown, Zhiyu Solstice Luo, Jessie Nguyen, Sinyi Au, Kate McQuarrie, Katherine Dailey, Melissa Dai, Isaiah Steinberg and Aidan Johnstone of the Medill Investigative Lab at Northwestern University.

Judges' comments:
"This FOI award entry from ProPublica challenged the closed and potentially life-threatening practices of the FDA involving safety testing of generic drugs and the factories that make them. Through FOIA requests, a FOIA lawsuit, its own testing of drugs, its acquisition of data, and its construction of a generic drug and drug factory database, ProPublica did what the FDA should do - provide critical information in open records a truly open government would absolutely provide.'

Winner — IRE Medal: “Death Sentence: Treatable sepsis infections kill hundreds of inmates each year” — USA Today

by Austin Fast, Doug Caruso, and Steve Suo

Judges' comments:
"Data reporter Austin Fast of USA Today took federal data about jail and prison deaths the Department of Justice tried to keep secret and painstakingly cleaned up and analyzed the documents, yielding a rare look at the fatalities. The data was only released after years of FOIA and legal action by USA Today. That persistence led to Fast's focus on sepsis, which is treatable, but treatment behind bars was elusive and deaths resulted. The investigation painfully illustrates the failures to treat sepsis symptoms by incompetent or uncaring jail and prison guards and nurses. Fast and USA Today also provide a road map all journalists can use to apply the letter and spirit of the Freedom of Information Act, and to achieve results for those harmed by a government agency more interested in hiding behind secrecy than in doing its job."

Finalists: “On the Hook: Investigating Towing Practices in Connecticut” — The Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica

by Dave Altimari and Ginny Monk

Judges' comments:
"The Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica exposed corruption in the state's system for towing cars,  which included a state DMV employee who exploited lax state regulation by giving towing companies favored treatment, and then selling towed cars at enormous profit. The reporting showed that state law benefited towing companies at the expense of often poor car owners, and that the state DMV failed to respond to blatant abuses."

International Outstanding Print/Online

Winner: “The Poisonous Lead Trade” — The Examination, The New York Times

by Will Fitzgibbon, Peter S. Goodman, Samuel Granados, Finbarr O’Reilly, Carmen Abd Ali, Daniel Nass, Fernanda Aguirre, Romina Colman, and Mago Torres

Judges' comments:
“The Examination, in partnership with The New York Times, delivered a powerful, deeply reported investigation into the global export of toxic lead pollution, tracing how stricter U.S. environmental regulations pushed hazardous battery-recycling operations into vulnerable communities abroad. Through on-the-ground reporting and independent lead testing, the journalists documented contamination levels in Nigerian neighborhoods nearly 200 times higher than U.S. experts consider safe, and traced the contamination back to American companies and ports. The series did a great job of tying the issue to regular people's lives — documenting the dilemma of needing economic survival but suffering the costs of a dirty industry in their backyards while holding companies accountable and pointing towards solutions. A refreshingly clear, thoughtful series of journalism with real impact, spurring regulatory action in Nigeria and changes in corporate behavior.”

Finalists: “Syria after Assad” — Reuters

by Maggie Michael, Feras Dalatey, Timour Azhari, Ryan McNeill, Khalil Ashawi, John Davison, Allison Martell, and Reade Levinson

Judges' comments:
“Dogged, fearless reporting in the most difficult conditions that delivers revelatory findings on Syria’s post-Assad landscape. The series provides vital, on-the-ground insight into the covering up of mass graves, abuses and torture continuing under the new government and ongoing corruption across the country. It is important journalism that bears witness and holds the current and past regimes of Syria to account, centering the risks of a continuing cycle of violence.”

“Made in America, Watched Worldwide” — The Associated Press

by Dake Kang, Yael Grauer, Garance Burke, Byron Tau, Michael Biesecker, Sam Mednick, and Aniruddha Ghosal, with AP Staff

Judges' comments:
"A sweeping, deeply reported investigation into how U.S. companies have enabled the use and abuse of surveillance technology in China, Nepal, Gaza and at home. Through compelling evidence, the series reveals how these companies and their technology have knowingly fueled repression, imprisonment, and human rights abuses around the world.”

National Outstanding Print/Online

Winner: “Exposing misconduct in L.A. County’s historic $4-billion sex abuse settlement” — The Los Angeles Times

by Rebecca Ellis

Judges' comments:
“Wow! This dogged investigation by LA Times reporter Rebecca Ellis, which persisted despite harassment from the law firm at the center of the investigation, exposed likely fraud and manipulation by law firms standing to reap millions from a settlement with Los Angeles County. Fake plaintiffs, fraudulent recruitment of supposed victims, hidden investors in law firms seeking to profit, county employees losing out on pay raises, county agencies forced to cut budgets - all due to what might have been a well-intentioned law that turned into a fraud-for-all county lawyers and officials couldn't manage. Talk about results. The investigation led directly to multiple investigations. It forced public officials to pay attention and respond. And it also resulted in the suspension of lawsuit payments. Ellis also details the frustration, disappointment and revictimization of people deserving compensation.”

Finalists: “Jailed and Pregnant” — Bloomberg Law and NBC News

by Mackenzie Mays and Jon Schuppe

Judges' comments:
“Bloomberg Law and NBC News provide a gut-wrenching investigation of the inhumane treatment of pregnant women who give birth while jailed. As the story points out, women seeking medical treatment generally have a difficult time being believed. The jailed women the investigation identified were dismissed, ignored, and belittled, and then left to suffer, die or watch their babies die. The reporting surfaces documents and videos that defy the excuses provided by jails and medical contractors. And the reporters provide the horrific stories, with women who are all named and on the record. This is a masterful example of accountability journalism that exposes an epic failure to treat women and their babies as human. It’s a groundbreaking multi-media report on the deadly dangers when imprisoned pregnant women give birth without proper care, and it offers solutions, including finding alternatives to incarceration for pregnant women.”

Regional Outstanding Print/Online

Winner: “Burned” — San Francisco Chronicle

by Susie Neilson, Megan Fan Munce, and Sara DiNatale

Judges' comments:
“In the wake of disastrous wildfires in California, the San Francisco Chronicle investigated the predatory practices of insurance companies and how they lead to underinsurance, underpayment of claims and rejection of science on the toxic risks of smoke. It also found that members of a state task force formed to propose new laws were responsible for the same anti-consumer practices. The reports exposed the flaws in an insurance world that leaves homeowners unable to fully recover from fire damage and loss.”

Finalist: “Standard of Fear” — Dallas Morning News

by Lauren Caruba, Marin Wolf, Emily Brindley, Maria Ramos Pacheco, Azul Sordo Ortiz Hernan, and Michael Hogue

Judges' comments:
“This exhaustive series of stories by the Dallas Morning News exposed how women in Texas were losing access to critical emergency medical care during pregnancy, resulting in death for some, and unnecessary pain and suffering for others. The reports illustrated the harmful impacts of the state’s extremely restrictive abortion law.”

Finalist: “Standards of Care” — The Boston Globe

by Liz Kowalczyk, Elizabeth Koh, Yoohyun Jung, Scooty Nickerson, and Neena Hagen

Judges' comments:
“The Boston Globe took a deep dive into a dysfunctional system that fails to protect patients and warn consumers about doctors responsible for patterns of abuse and deadly mistakes.  As a public service, it published what state authorities did not – a searchable database of disciplinary and malpractice cases.”

State Outstanding Print/Online

Winner: “Undocumented workers built Florida’s roads — and died in the process” — Tampa Bay Times

by Emily L. Mahoney and Langston Taylor

Judges' comments:
"The Tampa Bay Times investigation of a highway contractor with lucrative state contracts connects the company's injury and fatality rates, it's use of undocumented workers, and an apparently cozy relationship with state officials. These are Florida officials who denounce illegal immigration but do not sanction employers who hire illegal immigrants and use the inept federal E-Verify system to essentially overlook immigration status. The story exposes apparent hypocrisy in state officials ranting about undocumented workers but looking away when favored contractors hire and exploit those vulnerable workers. This is a prime example of accountability journalism."

Winner: “Killer Train” — Miami Herald/McClatchy and WLRN Public Radio

by Brittany Wallman, Aaron Leibowitz, Daniel Rivero, Joshua Ceballos, Shradha Dinesh, Allison Beck, Susan Merriam, David Newcomb, Sohail Al-Jamea, Rachel Handley, Matias J. Ocner, Pierre Taylor, David Santiago, John Parkhurst, Carolina Zamora, Kevin Scott, Adrian Ruhi, Denise Royal, Jessica Bakeman, Jessica Lipscomb, and Trish Wilson Belli

Judges' comments:
"This collaboration by The Miami Herald and WLRN exposed several key problems with Florida's private high-speed Brightline train system: the decision to use existing tracks saved money but is costing lives; it's the most dangerous passenger train system in the country; and it is not a privately-funded venture as promoters initially claimed. The Herald and WLRN investigation documented two common half-truths Brightline has used in defending its safety record and claim of private funding. First, the company blamed victims for their injuries and deaths, despite the nation's highest fatality rate and safety analysis by rail safety experts. And like so many major "private" projects that claim no public funding, Brightline has required close to $500 million in public funds for safety, stations and operations. The reporting not only applies truth-squadding to Brightline’s narrative, it powerfully chronicles the tragic loss of life, and examines the wisdom of running high speed trains in dense urban areas without appropriate safety measures."

Finalist: “Unprotected” — Spotlight PA

by Angela Couloumbis and Sarah Anne Hughes

Judges' comments:
"Spotlight PA's persistent investigation of state-mandated services for abused or neglected seniors revealed state agency failure to provide oversight and accountability when the public and private agencies failed to meet standards and respond quickly to circumstances that left some seniors imperiled. The reporter's persistence resulted in gaining access to records agencies tried to keep hidden."

Local Outstanding Print/Online

Winner: “Hidden at Home” — northjersey.com

by Ashley Balcerzak and Jean Rimbach

Judges' comments:
“This intensive and exhaustive investigation of failures of care in New Jersey's private group homes provides a classic example of the power of journalism. Reporters Ashley Balcerzak and Jean Rimbach faced group home operators and state regulators who hid evidence of serious problems, tried to thwart the investigation, withheld data and documents, and denied the existence of demonstrated failures. The reporters responded with a herculean effort to identify and interview victims of failed care and to obtain documents, data and reports. They held truth to power, detailing case after case and illustrating company and regulatory failures with graphics, charts, and gut-wrenching photos. They provided clear and convincing evidence of either state regulatory incompetence or cover-up, as the top state regulator claimed, ‘This is a complaint I have never received directly’ and ‘Where does the assumption come from that we're not doing enough.’ They also provided ammunition for advocates and lawmakers' calls for change, and their deep reporting forced important changes. This is what journalism is supposed to do.” 

Finalists: “Invisible Killer” — The Columbus Dispatch

By Max Filby, Danae King, Samantha Hendrickson, and Samantha Madar

Judges' comments:
“The Columbus Dispatch provides a significant public service with this series about the potential threat of cancer-causing radon gas in homes, schools and other buildings in a state that has the highest levels of radon in the nation. When the state declined to provide radon testing data, the Dispatch reporters decided to raise money to do their own testing. This is an important investigation that raised awareness about an extraordinarily common threat in Ohio, and triggered meaningful action.”  

“Guarded by Predators” — InvestigateWest

by Whitney Bryen and Wilson Criscione

Judges' comments:
“InvestigateWest dug deep into sexual assaults by guards in women's prisons in Idaho, documenting cases state prison officials and local police declined to fully investigate. State and local officials also tried to thwart access to public records about the cases. That didn't stop InvestigateWest from identifying and interviewing victims, and detailing incidents that were otherwise not public, went mostly unreported to law enforcement, and rarely resulted in charges. The investigation prompted state action that may result in more transparency and accountability.”

International Outstanding Video

Winner: “Fault Lines - Kids Under Fire”  — Al Jazeera English

by Amel Guettatfi, Josh Rushing, Laila Al-Arian, Singeli Agnew, Mohammed Ibaida, Hussien Jaber, Omer Zineldeen, Mahmoud Kulab, Yousuf Alsaifi, Adrienne Haspel, and Mehr Sher

Judges' comments:
"Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines: Kids Under Fire is a searing investigation that brings viewers face-to-face with the reality of children in Gaza. Despite significant reporting constraints, including the inability to send foreign journalists into Gaza, the team uses strong local reporting and eyewitness video to document the harrowing events on the ground. Drawing from firsthand medical testimony of doctors treating young gunshot victims, detailed documentation of injuries, and extensive video evidence, the film builds the case that Israeli soldiers are deliberately targeting children. The work highlights both the risks faced by healthcare workers and their persistence under extreme conditions, as well as the unfathomable toll on Palestinian families. The reporting also follows U.S. physicians as they attempt to bring their findings to American lawmakers, only to receive little engagement. The result is a chilling and emotionally resonant piece of visual storytelling that is difficult to look away from.”

Finalist: “Deported and Imprisoned” — ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, Alianza Rebelde Investiga, and Cazadores de Fake News

by Gerardo del Valle, Fénix Media, Adriana L. Fernández, Almudena Toral, Mauricio Rodríguez Pons, Melissa Sanchez, Perla Trevizo, Mica Rosenberg, Ronna Rísquez, Adrián González, Zisiga Mukulu, Alejandro Bonilla Suárez, Edwin Corona Ramos, Gabriel Sandoval, and Ruth Talbot

Judges' comments:
“Powerful video storytelling is part of an extensive investigation into the U.S. administration’s deportation of Venezuelans, it claimed were violent gang members. The videos document the horrific experiences of men sent to Guantanamo and CECOT and bear witness to their unjust suffering.”

National Outstanding Video

Winner: “The Prisoners” — 60 Minutes

By Cecilia Vega, Andy Court, Camilo Montoya-Galvez, Annabelle Hanflig, Katie Jahns, Mary Cunningham, Joe Schanzer, Bill Owens, Tanya Simon, Philip Holsinger, Will Croxton, Dan Bussell, Mark LaGanga, Roger Herr, Dennis Dillon, Matthew Magratten, Everett Wong, Stan Wilkins, and Edward Jones

Judges' comments:
“A quick and powerful investigation based on a leaked document that showed the Trump administration wasn't really deporting ‘the worst of the worst’ to a horrific Salvadoran prison, and couldn't justify claims that some of those deported were members of a notorious Venezuelan gang. CBS News used the leaked document to then do deep research into court records, criminal records, photographs and news reports, effectively refuting the administration's claims about most of these deportees. The producers do not claim credit, but it is likely that the CBS reporting played some role in the outcry and pressure that led to the release of these deportees to Venezuela three months later.”

Finalist: “Poisoned: Fentanyl's Child Victims” — Scripps News

by Lori Jane Gliha, Brittany Freeman, Nick Refuerzo, Matt Anzur, and Linda Pattillo

Judges' comments:
“A well-done investigation that did a good job of making both their newsgathering/analysis process clear + providing a strong impact-focused takeaway that could potentially save lives.”

Large Market Outstanding Video

Winner: “Unlicensed and Unchecked” — WFAA

by Tanya Eiserer, Charles Carter, John Gibson, and Jason Trahan

Judges' comments:
“WFAA Dallas’ Unlicensed and Unchecked is a series of gripping stories of death and fraud in chains of assisted living "boarding homes" operated by predatory owners. This was a great investigation that led to change in Texas. The investigation exposes the horrific conditions, exploitation and fraud committed by operators of boarding homes for disabled people. The investigation also prompted two changes in state law, which will hopefully prevent this from happening again. This was a great endeavor by the WFAA team that led to a change in the community. Great storytelling with a big impact."

Finalists: “At Risk” — KUSA-TV

by Chris Vanderveen, Chris Hansen, Aaron Adelson

Judges' comments:
“KUSA's investigation exposed the failure of a parolee assessment system to adequately measure the risks to the public. Some of those with minimal parole supervision ended up committing murders. The investigation found major errors in the scoring system that attaches a risk rating to parolees. Interviews with families of victims strike at the crushing human cost of the errors. In the end, the state agency involved did its own audit of a sample of the system and documented a 98% error rate. The state agency now says it will expand its review of parolee scores. State lawmakers are looking at corrective legislation. Both the state agency, the governor and lawmakers credited KUSA for exposing the systemic errors.”

Medium Market Outstanding Video

Winner: “Dysfunctional DA” — KRQE News 13

by Ann Pierret

Judges' comments:
"Reporter Ann Pierret of KRQE in Albuquerque acted on a tip about a district attorney in Gallup, two hours away, who failed to prosecute dozens of serious cases, including murder, rape, child sexual abuse, DUI and more, because all of her prosecutors and most of her support staff had quit or been fired. Pierret's persistent reporting, which included exposing for the first time the dismissed prosecutions, prompted state action. But the state response moved slowly, so Pierret persisted with 10 stories that chronicled the dismissed prosecutions, dug up evidence that prompted the state to move more decisively, and gave voice to the victims and law enforcement agencies who saw serious felony cases dismissed without any effort at prosecution. Pierret also used police bodycam video to underscore the seriousness of the cases that were not prosecuted. This is accountability journalism personified, with a commitment to not only stick to the story, but to dig deeper than even state and local officials, who had the same documents and data at their disposal.”

Winner: “Shielded from Accountability” — WGRZ Buffalo

by Charlie Specht and Sean Mickey

Judges' comments:
“The ongoing reporting of Charlie Specht and Sean Mickey for WGRZ (46 stories in 9 months) focused on a county sheriff's narcotics chief and helped expose a cover-up of his possible DUI with a series of hit-and-run crashes. The reporters are to be commended for their persistence on the story, which included gathering evidence law enforcement failed to gather, and ‘harassment and intimidation’ from those who didn't want them investigating. The steady volume of stories, which included pointed accountability questions for the public officials who appeared to be protecting the narcotics chief, kept the pressure on. The reporters exposed conflicts of interest involving the Buffalo police department and the county district attorney's office. Local and state investigations followed, as well as additional criminal charges for the narcotics chief and sanctions for officers involved in the apparent cover-up. This investigation shows that persistence pays, especially when the journalists themselves become targets.”

Finalist: “What Happened Inside” — WTHR

by Bob Segall, Ryan Thedwall, and Susan Batt

Judges' comments:
“WTHR sought accountability for a chain of addiction treatment centers with a history of neglect, inadequate staffing and deaths. The reporting team also sought accountability from state regulators who meekly regulate and refuse to release relevant investigative records. The reporters were relentless, tracking down and confronting unresponsive state officials in public settings. Too few reporters do this, instead depending solely on emails and phone calls to the responsible officials and agencies.” 

Small Market Outstanding Video

Winner: “A Mother’s Cry” — KSLA

by Ashley Graham

Judges' comments:
“KSLA did some important accountability reporting by obtaining police body cam video detailing the arrest of a mom for child neglect. The video added critical context for viewers and raised questions about an officer's poor judgment.”

Finalists: “Charleston Housing Authority Failures” — WCSC

by Anna Harris

Judges' comments:
“This follow-up to an earlier investigation shows the value of owning a story and sticking with it, especially when the first investigation ended with promises to do better. WCSC looked at whether the Charleston Housing Authority fulfilled its promise to inspect public housing units quarterly in response to substandard conditions, including mold, leaking and collapsing ceilings, and rats. FOIA requests revealed that only a quarter of units were inspected at first, but when most were inspected later that year, some that had passed inspection still had serious issues. That was good accountability reporting.”

Outstanding Audio - Large

Winner: “Fighting Fire with Facts: Investigating LA's Wildfires” — NPR

by Chiara Eisner, Nick McMillan, Graham Smith, Emily Bogle, Robert Little, Connie Hanzhang Jin, Alyson Hurt, and Arielle Retting. 

Judges' comments:
“NPR's pursuit and analysis of more than 2,000 hours of emergency communications during the disastrous wildfires in the Los Angeles area in early 2025 provided clear evidence of the failure of the area's power company to quickly respond to the fire-sparking threats of its own power lines. The audio shows that power lines were active when the company said they weren't, and that the company falsely blamed home generators for energizing lines. The emergency communications obtained by NPR also documented the firefighters' frustrated efforts to access the water system as homes and neighborhoods burned. NPR combined the audio with data obtained from records requests, which provide the possibility of legal action for some homeowners who lost homes due to fires started by distribution lines.” 

Finalists: “Chicago Renters Cast Adrift” — WBEZ and Injustice Watch
by Amy Qin, Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, Maya Dukmasova, Maggie Sivit, and Charles Preston

Judges' comments:
“Chicago Public Media provided a valuable public service by acquiring and analyzing data about historic trends in housing affordability and then honing in on how property ownership can be hidden, so that owners escape accountability for substandard conditions. Tenants struggling to find affordable housing, or struggling to get critical repairs from absentee and often hidden owners, were featured in compelling interviews.”

“Unprepared: Helene's Deadly Warning” — NPR and PBS FRONTLINE

by Laura Sullivan, Jonathan Schienberg, Dana Miller Irvin, Kate McCormick, Lauren Kinlaw Ezell, Graham Smith, Robert Little, Frank Koughan, Andrew Metz, Raney Aronson-Rath, Andrew Mambo and Jenny Schmidt

Judges' comments:
“NPR and PBS Frontline followed up reporting on Hurricane Helene in North Carolina with return visits to places they'd investigated in the past after destructive storms. They looked at how those places recovered, and whether public officials applied lessons learned about developing in flood-prone areas. They did their own mapping and modeling to show that even after horrendous disasters, public officials do not necessarily restrict rebuilding in flood zones, even when they claim they will impose restrictions.” 

Outstanding Audio - Small

Winner: “Alaska's Crumbling Schools” — KYUK Public Media (with NPR and ProPublica) 

 by Emily Schwing, Hannah Fresques, Mollie Simon and Rashah McChesney

Judges' comments:
“Alaska-based reporter Emily Schwing marshaled her extensive experience and contacts in Alaska’s most remote villages, many of which are inhabited by indigenous Alaskans, to document the state’s failure to maintain local schools. Schwing found a pool of raw sewage, black mold, bat guano, collapsed ceilings and other health-threatening conditions resulting from neglect. The investigation noted that schools in remote and indigenous Alaska are often the only community and recreation centers, and are increasingly relied upon as emergency shelters during disastrous storms. Schwing not only crawled under schools and into attics to document substandard and dangerous conditions, but also acquired and analyzed years of documents and data that clearly demonstrated the state’s failure to respond to funding requests. The reporting prompted scrutiny in the state legislature of the state’s funding and oversight of school maintenance. Schwing and KYUK also made sure native Yupik speakers could read and hear the investigation by providing translation of the reporting in the Yup'ik language.”   

Finalist: “Trapped inside the 'scariest place' — a psychiatric hospital in Indiana” — WFYI

by Farrah Anderson, Eric Weddle, Farah Yousry, and Kamala Kelkar

Judges' comments:
“WFYI produced an investigation about a disturbing dynamic -- psychiatric hospitals using involuntary holds to milk money out of patients' insurance while offering poor and neglectful care, and even harm. The reporting team makes good use of documents and powerful tape uncovered through public records requests. This investigation went deep in a short amount of time, and may lead to new legislation.” 

Longform Journalism in Audio

Winner — IRE Medal: “Not a peaceful protest” — NPR News

By Tom Dreisbach, Barbara Van Woerkom, Barrie Hardymon, and Monika Evstatieva

Judges' comments:
“National Public Radio richly deserves this IRE Medal for painstakingly preserving the history of one of the darkest days in American democracy.  NPR has documented every criminal case resulting from the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, plus its own collection of video, audio and documents.  Given the current federal administration’s effort to erase evidence of the insurrection and rewrite its history, NPR has given the public a lasting record of what really transpired for the benefit of generations to come.” 

Finalists: “Snitch City” — The Boston Globe
by Dugan Arnett, Andrew Ryan, Brendan McCarthy, Kristin Nelson, and Max Green

Judges' comments:
“The Boston Globe turned its Spotlight on police abuses in the questionable use of confidential informants in New Bedford, MA. Taking a creative ‘cinematic’ approach via podcasts, print and video, it offers an inside look at practices that are rife and rife with abuse.”

“Dig: The Girls” — The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting

by Jess Clark, Laura Ellis, and Jacob Ryan

Judges' comments:
“These lengthy podcasts examined the sexual abuse of girls by educators, focusing on twin brothers employed by Louisville schools. The reports show how victims of abuse, including rape, were not protected by the district. Through the girls’ own persistence, the brothers finally faced criminal charges.”

“Manufacturing Danger: The BioLab Story” — Georgia Public Broadcasting

By Pamela Kirkland, Grant Blankenship, and Jeremy Powell

Judges' comments:
“George Public Broadcasting’s six-hour podcast series took an exhaustive look at a chemical plant accident, its aftermath, the impact on nearby residents and the manufacturer’s 20-year history of similar incidents.  It exposed failures in oversight and regulation that put the community’s health and safety at risk.”

Longform Journalism in Video

Winner — IRE Medal: “The Alabama Solution” — HBO Max

by Charlotte Kaufman, Andrew Jarecki, Beth Shelburne, Christopher Izor, Gabe Murray, and Page Marsella

Judges' comments:
"The team behind “The Alabama Solution” lays out the story of the struggle and fight for human rights in the Alabama prison system through a series of clandestine recordings, phone calls and interviews with those incarcerated within its walls. In the most carceral nation in the world, this documentary lays bare in excruciating and elucidating detail the atrocities and inhumane conditions faced by incarcerated people and the myriad of ways that the system fails to protect them - and downright abuses and exploits them with impunity. The team stayed with the story for years, provided a platform for those incarcerated to tell their own stories, and held a powerful institution to account, relentlessly calling out the stories relayed to the media through evidence gathered firsthand."

Winner: “The War They Play” — The Kyiv Independent

by Olesia Bida, Maksym Yakobchuk, Glib Sushchev, Oleh Halaidych, Serhii Hodchenko, Dmytro Shovhelia, and Andriy Roliuk

Judges' comments:
“The Kyiv Independent went to extraordinary lengths to find Ukrainian children who had lived under Russian occupation and were subjected to indoctrination and even military training. Their stories provide a harrowing account and evidence of Russian efforts to build a new generation of pro-Russian collaborators and Russian soldiers inside Russian-occupied Ukraine. The storytelling also includes identification of specific Russian officers involved in this effort and some video of them promoting their work. This is journalism that sheds light in the fog of war.”

Investigations Triggered by Breaking News

Winner: “L.A. Firestorms: The First 30 Days” — The Los Angeles Times

by Terry Castleman, Nathan Fenno, Melody Gutierrez, Matt Hamilton, Ian James, Vanessa Martínez, Brittny Mejia, Paul Pringle, Dakota Smith, Paige St. John, Alene Tchekmedyian, Grace Toohey, David Zahniser, Noah Haggerty, Ruben Vives, Richard Winton, Cindy Chang, Shelby Grad, Monte Morin, Carla Rivera, Sean Greene, Sandhya Kambhampati, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee, and Hanna Sender

Judges' comments:
“A tremendous effort of accountability journalism in real time, during a historic and unprecedented disaster. The LA Times quickly did exactly what the best journalism does, even in the midst of chaos and a dramatic life and death situation still unfolding in their own city, while some of the newsroom’s own journalists were experiencing direct losses. As flames still burned, ruined homes smoldered, and searches for dead and missing continued, Times reporters sought accountability for the lack of available water and resources that were not deployed. The team’s investigation into authorities’ failure to issue timely evacuation orders to parts of Altadena, where a higher number of residents are Black, brought an important dimension of racial inequity to the handling of the fire response that helped inform the civic discourse and interrogate why certain lives were lost. The team uncovered important revelations and provided readers with useful, meaningful, on-the-ground information to help citizens navigate the immediate disaster, hold power accountable for system failures, and investigate how to be better prepared next time.”

Finalists: “The Root Causes of the D.C. Crash” — The New York Times

by Kate Kelly, Mark Walker, Emily Steel, Sydney Ember, Robin Stein, Riley Mellen, Dmitriy Khavin, Alexander Cardia, David A. Fahrenthold, Karoun Demirjian, Christine Chung, Niraj Chokshi, and Aaron Krolik

Judges' comments:
“A nimble and timely investigation into the military helicopter-American Airlines collision that involved exclusive and deep reporting with sources and documents. A worthy effort to shed light on an aviation tragedy and how it happened, through words and powerful visualizations. Notable findings include the fact that DC lawmakers had long pushed for the increased flights at Reagan airport that may have contributed to the tragedy, and that an accident was anticipated years before in the precise location of the Jan 2025 collision.”

“Deadly choices: How officials’ missteps contributed to the catastrophic Hill Country flood” — The Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, and Austin American-Statesman

by Neena Satija, Keri Blakinger, Yilun Cheng, Caroline Ghisolfi, Megan Kimble, Yaffa Fredrick, Robert Eckhart, and Alexandra Kanik

Judges' comments:
“The Houston Chronicle and its Hearst newspaper partners in Texas mobilized when disastrous flash floods hit Kerr County on July 4, 2025. Notable findings included a deep dive into the scarcity of flood insurance in the area and the inadequacy of flood mapping, a thorough investigation into the failure to upgrade the flood warning system, and texts and emails that showed city and county officials were slow to react. The reporting team gathered documents and built its own model of flood zones, while also compiling a unique flood insurance database. The reporters’ search for accountability raised important questions all flood-prone communities should be grappling with, about why communities choose not to invest in upgrading flood warning systems, and build in clear flood zones.”

IRE Award for Sports Investigations

Winner: “Justin Tucker investigation: Empowering massage therapists left traumatized by an NFL legend” — The Baltimore Banner

by Julie Scharper, Brenna Smith, Justin Fenton, Jonas Shaffer, and Giana Han

Judges' comments:
"The Baltimore Banner's investigation of sexually inappropriate activity with massage therapists not only resulted in the suspension of a revered football player, but it showed how difficult sexual impropriety can be for women subjected to it by one of the most famous people in town. It showed the power imbalance in such situations, the paralyzing fear of reprisals, and the emotional impact that can fester for years. The Banner reporters did not succumb to pressure from the athlete, the team or fans, and continued to report details as more women came forward. The NFL's own investigation confirmed the allegations and resulted in the player's suspension.”

Finalists: “Prey to Play” — NJ Advance Media

by Matthew Stanmyre and Keith Sargeant

Judges' comments:
“Sexual predators in youth sports have been a big topic for years. NJ Advance Media focuses its 2025 investigation on the recent proliferation of private coaching and sports leagues, and how that appears to leave kids in New Jersey more exposed to abuse because the laws and oversight that apply to public leagues and schools don't apply. The investigation shows that private coaches escape background checks and registries fail to include many abusers. The reporting team compiled its own, more complete database of convicted coaches, some of whom were missing from registries kept by the state and the national program SafeSport. The reporting relies on experts, data and cases.

Books

Winner: “The Scientist and the Serial Killer: The Search for Houston's Lost Boys” — Random House

by Lise Olsen

Judges' comments:
"The Scientist and the Serial Killer is this year's winner for its extraordinary depth. It weaves information from thousands of public records with more than 100 interviews to reconstruct one of Houston’s most chilling murder cases and to tell the story of the forensic anthropologist who worked tirelessly to identify the forgotten victims. Lise Olsen’s reporting brought the names of victims, overlooked witnesses, hidden accomplices and new evidence to the public. The book demonstrates how strong reporting and storytelling can push the public to act on even decades-old cases that many in power would rather leave in the dark."

Student Award - Individual

Winner: “Forbidden prison romance ignites legal battle for parental rights” — University of Nebraska-Lincoln

by Grace Lewis

Judges' comments:
"Grace Lewis of the University of Nebraska produced a compelling and ambitious enterprise story that shows a remarkable commitment to getting the key characters to talk, obtaining data and documents from a resistant and uncooperative prison system, and explaining in detail the circumstances the two key characters got themselves into. Clear and engaging, the story explores a lesser-known side of a prison sexual abuse case in the national spotlight, bringing readers into the personal and legal complexities at its center. A strong piece of student journalism.”

Student Award - Small Team

Winner: “Hundreds of Nursing Home Residents Assaulted by Other Residents Across U.S.” — Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism

by Cindy Marchionda, Quinn Waller, Erin Maher, Rafael Escalera Montoto, and Cris Seda Chabrier

Judges' comments:
“New take (resident-on-resident violence) on an age-old issue (nursing home problems). A thorough analysis of records examines systemic issues (low staffing) and how policies and lobbying have affected them. Reporters broke new ground and shared new, key insights, including that residents may be more abusive than staff, a common narrative. Painstaking work to read through all of the narratives. Found compelling stories and identified some of the worst places.”

Finalists: “Academic Freedom” — The Daily Beacon at The University of Tennessee

by Caden Dyer, Olivia Lee, and Patrick Busch

Judges' comments:
“Bold and thorough. A difficult story for students to cover -- going toe to toe with their own school leadership to cover a controversial decision by those leaders. The public records they got were revealing and powerful for the story. They were leading the story even for professional media. Great work.”

“The Lanterman Story” — The Poly Post at Cal Poly Pomona

by Ava Uhlack, Katie Priest, and Gerardo Sanchez

Judges' comments:
“The student journalists at the Cal Poly Post followed a hunch about the use of a large state-donated property for films, commercials and music videos. Documents obtained by the students showed that the property was not self-sustaining, as the university president claimed, and actually required university funds to maintain and operate, while also operating at a deficit.”

Student Award – Large Team

Winner: “Deadly Force” — The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at Arizona State University

by Owen Alfonso, LM Boyd, Ana Burk, Emma Croteau, Alessandra de Zubeldia, Sona Gevorgyan, Moses Havyarimana, Emily Holshouser, Naomi Jordan, Isabelle Marceles, Jamie Montoya, Tufan Neupane, Madeline Nguyen, and Tori Smith

Judges' comments:
“The Howard Center team of student journalists at Arizona State University took a Justice Department report about civil rights abuses by Phoenix police and decided to dig into deadly force incidents. They interrogated the concept of 'less lethal’ force and weapons, which were supposed to reduce the number of incidents involving deadly use of force. Instead, the team found that the ‘less lethal’ and ‘non-lethal’ labels are actually misnomers because serious injury and death still result. The team methodically analyzed data that showed that use of ‘less-lethal’ weapons by police did not result in a significant reduction in deadly force incidents. The investigation also documented incomplete police data and a police practice of favorably editing body-cam video before release to the public.”

Winners and finalists were not awarded for the “Student: Best of Class for Exceptional Enterprise."

About the IRE Awards

Contest entries are screened and judged by IRE members who are working journalists. IRE upholds the highest ethical standards in its contests to ensure that all judging is free from undue influence. The IRE Contest Committee is independent from the IRE Board of Directors. Committee members are either elected by IRE membership or appointed by the executive director. Serving on the committee represents a significant sacrifice on the part of the individual contest judge — and often an entire newsroom — that may have done outstanding investigative work. Visit the contest FAQ page for more information. For questions or concerns about the IRE Awards please contact Krista Sporleder, krista@ire.org.

This year’s contest judges:

• Walter Smith Randolph, CBS News New York / Elected (Chair)
• Paroma Soni, Politico / IRE Board (Vice Chair)
• Mark Lagerkvist, independent journalist / Elected
• Howard Berkes, retired journalist
• Kristiania Clark, The Uncertain Hour podcast
• Julieta Martinelli, Futuro Media

To ensure fairness and transparency, some judges were not present during deliberations in specific categories due to potential conflicts of interest.

Thank you, judges and screeners!

About Investigative Reporters and Editors:

Investigative Reporters and Editors is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting. IRE provides training, resources and a community of support to thousands of journalists around the world.