To be presented during the 81st General Assembly in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
To be presented during the 81st General Assembly in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Miami (August 25, 2025) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) announces the winners of the 2025 Excellence in Journalism Awards, across 12 categories, along with 24 honorable mentions. These accolades highlight the diversity and rigor of the best journalism from the Americas and Spain. The official awards ceremony will be held during the 81st General Assembly of the IAPA, from October 16 to 19, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
María Lorente, Chair of the IAPA Awards Commission and Regional Director for Latin America for Agence FrancePresse (AFP), said: “The works awarded this year reflect the enormous quality and courage of many journalists, in a context marked by the advance of authoritarianism, democratic decline, polarization, disinforming narratives, and the economic crisis affecting the media industry. It is admirable and auspicious to recognize these works of extremely high professional and human value, which not only reflect the talent of various journalists and newsrooms, but also the commitment of their authors to our societies’ right to be informed.”
As in previous editions, the jury (composed of representatives from various media outlets in the region) emphasized the thematic breadth of the submissions, which range from exposing human trafficking in the Caribbean to the resilience of indigenous communities facing the climate crisis in Canada, as well as investigations into corruption, organized crime, and forced migration.
A growing trend is the use of innovative narratives, combining data journalism and multimedia formats to connect with audiences on a deeper level and highlight the more human side of stories. The winners also reflect the strength of digital media and growing transnational collaboration in journalistic projects.
The awards consist of a diploma of recognition and, in most cases, a US$2,000 stipend.
The IAPA will also announce in the coming days the individuals and institutions winning the Grand Chapultepec Award, Grand Press Freedom Award, Grand Friend of the Press Award, Executive of the Year, and Digital Transformation Award.
Detail of awardees by category:
“CLAUDIO PAOLILLO” AWARD FOR JOURNALISM ON MIGRATION, sponsored by La Silla Rota, Mexico
Winner
“Tricked into Sex Slavery: Global Crackdown hasn’t Stopped Caribbean Traffickers” – Natanga Smith, Valerie Fris, Roseann Pile, Soyini Grey, Marion Ali and Freeman Rogers, Caribbean Investigative Journalism Network (Trinidad). For presenting, based on the case of a young Cuban migrant, a powerful and well-founded investigative report on the tragedy of human trafficking in the Caribbean.
First Honorable Mention
“Ecuador, un país construido por sus migrantes” – Leonardo Gómez Ponce, Juan Diego Montenegro, Nicolás Palau, Unidad de Investigación Tierra de Nadie (Ecuador).
Second Honorable Mention
“La ruta de los coyotes” – Alfredo Pradilla Mar, Carlos Carabaña Ruiz del Árbol, Paul Ramírez, Marcos García, Cecilia Guadarrama, Erick Lizárraga, Rubén Mondragón, Andrea Salinas, Luis Villegas, Iñigo Arredondo Vera, and Omar Sánchez de Tagle, N+Focus (Mexico).
CARTOON & ILLUSTRATION AWARD, sponsored by El Tiempo, Colombia
Winner
“Discurso de posesión” [Trump] – Raúl Zuleta, El Espectador (Colombia). For illustrating, in a succinct manner and with excellent mastery of drawing, composition, and color, the danger of the U.S. president’s vehement rhetoric.
First Honorable Mention
“O Cerrado e a incrivel jornada das aguas” – Leticia Klein, Luiz Iria, Miguel Vilela Arte, Ronaldo Ribeiro, Sofia Beiras, Rodolfo Almeida, Lucas Alves, Thiago Medaglia, Ambiental Media (Brazil).
Second Honorable Mention
“Javier Milei” – Juan Colombato, La Nación (Argentina).
BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE AWARD, sponsored by Infobae
Winner
“Corredor Interoceánico: una historia de imposición, despojo y violencia” – Diego Prado Alonso, Valente Rosas Pacheco, Omar T. Bobadilla, Irving Morales Agiss, Silber Meza, Antonio Mundaca, Alejandra Mabel Crail Pérez, El Universal (Mexico). For questioning, through multiplatform coverage, a variety of sources, resources, and journalistic techniques, the construction project of an Interoceanic Corridor in Mexico, highlighting environmental and human impacts and the communities’ response of rejection.
First Honorable Mention
“Los heridos, ciegos y muertos del estallido social en Panamá” – José Arcia, Sol Lauría, Aris Rodríguez Mariota, Solangel Robinson, Orgun Wagua, Revista Concolón (Panama).
Second Honorable Mention
“Nadie busca a mi hijo” – Javier Drovetto, Paula Soler, Jazmín Lell, José E. Bordón, Giselle Ferro, Julieta Izzo, Lorena Uribe, Marcelo Manera, Carolina Niklison, Hernán Zenteno, La Nación (Argentina).
“ALEJANDRO MIRÓ QUESADA GARLAND” INTERVIEW AWARD, sponsored by El Comercio, Peru
Winner
“Pepe Mujica: A los 20, el amor es fogata. A los 80, una dulce costumbre para dispararle a la soledad" – Hugo Alconada Mon, La Nación (Argentina). For presenting, through an intimate dialogue informed about the subject’s sociopolitical context, a close and grounded image of a beloved political figure in Latin America.
First Honorable Mention
“Jens Balzer. Apropiación cultural, arte y política: Taylor Swift no pudo impedir que Trump volviera a la Casa Blanca”– Marcial Héctor Pavón, Ñ/Clarín (Argentina).
Second Honorable Mention
“María Teresa Arizabaleta: entrevista con la última sufragista, la mujer que logró el voto femenino en Colombia” – Diego Leon Giraldo, El Tiempo (Colombia).
PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD, sponsored by La Prensa Gráfica, El Salvador
Winner
“Corpo de atleta”– Paulo Miranda Favero, Beatriz Cesarini, Marcelo Maragni, Bruna Sanches, UOL (Brazil). For presenting, with images striking in their beauty and accompanied by personal stories, how sports practice sculpts athletes’ bodies depending on each discipline’s specificity.
First Honorable Mention
“Sobras de esmeraldas: el sueño de mineros pobres en Colombia” – Luis Cristóbal Acosta, AFP (Colombia).
Second Honorable Mention
“Ancestral Firefighters” – Marcelo Camargo, Agencia Brasil (Brazil).
FEATURE WRITING (CRÓNICA) AWARD, sponsored by Debate Media, Mexico
Winner
“Muerte en la plaza San Martín” – Juan Aurelio Arévalo Miró Quesada, El Comercio (Peru). For reconstructing, using a profusion of data and irrefutable sources, and with immersive, lyrical, slowcadence prose, a nearly century-old historical crime in Peru.
First Honorable Mention
“Fui, vi y escribí: el largo viaje en tren nocturno a Kiev y la familia por una noche que me regaló el destino” – Hinde Pomeraniec, Infobae (Argentina).
Second Honorable Mention
“Lágrimas, dolor y toda la intimidad del regreso de los familiares de caídos en la guerra de Malvinas al cementerio de Darwin” – Pablo Javier Blanco, Clarín (Argentina).
VIDEO JOURNALISM AWARD, sponsored by Fundación Carlos Freire, Riobamba, Ecuador
Winner
“El yugo talibán que asfixia a las mujeres en nombre de Alá” – Carolina García Mundi, El País (Spain). For denouncing, through devastating imagery and testimonies, the crushing of women’s rights and of the Afghan population by the Taliban regime.
First Honorable Mention
“Estado de Miedo”– Jafet Tirado, José Eduardo Martínez, David Rodríguez Medina, Luis Antonio García, Thais Morales García, N+Media (Mexico).
Second Honorable Mention
“Malvinas no se archiva” – Yair Cybel, Belén del Huerto Romero, Israel Olmedo Ivaldi, Sebastián Matías Furlong, El Grito del Sur (Argentina).
OPINION AWARD, sponsored by El Mercurio, Chile
Winner
“Venezuela contra el temor” – Luz Mely Reyes, Efecto Cocuyo (Venezuela) for El País (Spain). For describing the atmosphere of terror in Venezuela, based not only on the journalist’s judgment but also on data and victims’ testimonies, while leaving a margin of hope amid immense challenges.
First Honorable Mention
“Amenazas de muerte” – José Guarnizo, Vorágine (Colombia).
Second Honorable Mention
“Campeonato Nacional de Mandriles” – Alejandro Borensztein, Clarín (Argentina).
DATA JOURNALISM & INFOGRAPHICS AWARD, sponsored by Grupo de Comunicaciones Corripio, Dominican Republic
Winner
“Projeto Escravizadores” – Amanda Audi, Ana Alice de Lima, Babak Fakhamzadeh, Bianca Muniz, Bruno Fonseca, Bruno Penteado, Catarina Bessel, Danilo Queiroz, Darlene Dalto, Ester Nascimento, Ethieny Karen, Fernanda Diniz, Leandro Aguiar, Leticia Gouveia, Lorena Morgana, Mariama Correia, Marina Dias, Matheus Pigozzi, Matheus Santino, Patrícia Junqueira, Pedro Ezequiel, Rafael Custódio, Rafael Oliveira, Raphaela Ribeiro, Raquel Okamura, Renata Cons, Romeu Loreto, Agência Pública de Jornalismo Investigativo (Brazil). For revealing, through a wide array of investigative tools—combining genealogy, history, and journalism—the historical roots of slavery that persist in Brazil’s power structures.
First Honorable Mention
“Áreas protegidas de Chile” – Juan Pablo Bravo Zamora, El Mercurio (Chile).
Second Honorable Mention
“Así nos habló Milei” – Nicolás Cassese, Martín Rodríguez Yebra, Martín Pascua, Florencia Rodríguez Altube, Gabriela Bouret, Natalia Louzau, Alejandra Bliffeld, Florencia Abd, María Rodríguez Alcobendas, Pablo Loscri, Gastón de la Llana, Natalia Sarramone, Matías Boela, Julieta Bollini, La Nación (Argentina).
IN-DEPTH JOURNALISM AWARD, sponsored by La República, Peru
Winner
“Campo Tóxico” – Clemente Álvarez, Javier Figueroa, Andrés Rivera, Amaya Verde, Anna Clare Spelman, Frank Barragán, Diego Medrano, Jessica Weiss, Adriana Loeff, Patricia Clarembaux, Esther Poveda, Federica Narancio, Ana Elena Azpúrua, Univision Noticias Digital (United States). For denouncing and explaining in a didactic manner—through data, testimonies, graphics, and especially visual images—the harmful effects of pesticide exposure on U.S. agricultural workers, with conclusions applicable to other countries.
First Honorable Mention
“Farra do descontos no Instituto Nacional do Seguro Social (INSS)” – Geisiane Sousa, Viviane Novais, Lilian Tahan, Otto Valle, Márcia Delgado, Olívia Meireles, Fabio Leite, Érica Montenegro, Juliana Garcês, Juliana Afioni, Gui Prímola, Gabriel Lucas, Yanka Romão, Daniel Ferreira, Michael Melo, Italo Ridney, André Marques, Saulo Marques, Metrópoles (Brazil).
Second Honorable Mention
“El negocio de la Alcaldía de Managua: la urbanizadora ‘Bismarck Martínez” – Juan Carlos Bow, Confidencial (Nicaragua).
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM “ROBERTO EISENMANN Jr.” AWARD, sponsored by La Prensa, Panama
Winner
“Our Peace is Out There” – Thomas Lundy, Canadian Geographic (Canada). For portraying—in an environment of striking beauty in a remote region of Canada—the challenges faced by the Inuit community, convincingly expressed by its members, due to environmental threats from mining and climate change, as well as the solutions proposed by its leaders.
First Honorable Mention
“Narco contaminación: Cocinando un desastre ambiental” – Ivonne América Armenta Zúñiga, Jesús Antonio Bustamante Rivera, Luis Gerardo Magaña, Katherine Corcoran, Quinto Elemento Lab (Mexico).
Second Honorable Mention
“A Hidden Paradise under Threat” – Theresa de Miguel, Rodrigo Abd, Megan Janetsky, Caleb Diehl, Peter Hamlin, Anna Jo Bratton, Enric Martí, Carlos Dorantes, Karen Carballo, Kathy Young, Peter Prengaman, Associated Press (Mexico).
UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM AWARD, sponsored by the Latin American Council for Journalism and Communication Accreditation (CLAEP)
Winner
“Escape en la oscuridad: la historia del paratleta ciego que desertó durante Santiago 2023” – Juan José Leyton, Francisco González, Jesús Martínez, Gazi Jalil F., Vergara240, Universidad Diego Portales (Chile). For presenting—with exceptional narrative and spiritual depth—the moving story of a paraathlete, from his childhood in Cuba to his struggle to survive in another country, which was cited in the bill through which the Chamber of Deputies granted the immigrant Chilean nationality.
First Honorable Mention
“Tras los pasos del Bronx” – María José Lobo Arévalo, María Alejandra Moreno Flórez, Karen Tatiana Carreño Cely, Paula Andrea Triana Herrera, Sarah Shaiel Buitrago Castillo, Natalia Cristina Ariza Pinto, Santiago Ramírez Tolosa, Juana Guzmán Torres, Camilo Andrés Bustos Herrera, Esteban Roldán, María José Beltrán Ariza, Isaac Garzón Rodríguez, Santiago Andrés Ayala Fajardo, Juan Camilo Ferreira Acosta, Conexión Sabana 360, University of La Sabana (Colombia).
Second Honorable Mention
“Sob o peso do silêncio” – Luiza Cristina de Oliveira Melo, Lucas Lopes, Zanei Ramos Barcellos, Campus Multiplataforma, Universidade de Brasília (Brazil).
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.