The Independent’s Bel Trew and Holly Bancroft crowned as winners at Media Freedom Awards

The Independent’s Bel Trew and Holly Bancroft have won major accolades at the Society of Editors’ Media Freedom Awards.

Ms Trew was named foreign correspondent of the year for her work that has seen her look at the devastating impact of international aid cuts and travel to the frontlines of conflict zones.

She was recognised for her groundbreaking investigation, ‘I thought I’d be lynched’, looking at the deadly attacks on Nigeria’s LGBTQ+ community, as well as her year-long campaign calling on UK and international governments to protect foreign aid funding for HIV/AIDS services. Another of her entries was an interview with a survivor of Boko Haram which saw her travel to remote and hazardous areas of Northern Africa.

As war has dominated the Middle East, Ms Trew travelled to Tyre in south Lebanon and wrote a heartbreaking dispatch as Israeli airstrikes flattened entire towns and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Meanwhile, Ms Bancroft,The Independent’s former home affairs correspondent, was recognised as national young journalist of the year for work that has prompted investigations and public inquiries.

The Metropolitan Police launched an investigation after Ms Bancroft reported on the case of Rasheed Rahman and the force’s failure to detain the violent teenager who stabbed grandfather Mark Carroll to death in an unprovoked attack just days after he had been released on police bail twice. She went on to earn an exclusive interview with the family, which they said “shined a light on what happened to my dad”.

Mr Carroll’s daughter added: “I thought over the past two years what happened had gone unnoticed. I’m just glad that they have to answer for what happened now”.

A public inquiry was also launched following Ms Bancroft’s reporting on the notorious Brook House immigration centre after she used freedom of information laws to expose the chaotic conditions experienced by vulnerable migrants awaiting deportation at the site in Gatwick.

She obtained a dossier of written accounts from immigration officers working there that detailed harrowing accounts of trauma experienced by residents with serious mental illness – including people running at doors, apparently hallucinating and attempting suicide – to reveal the reality of life for those detained.

Ms Bancroft was also recognised for her investigation into radon levels HMP Dartmoor, as 750 former staff and prisoners look to take legal action because they believe their health has been permanently affected by the cancer-causing gas. One month after her piece was published, the Health and Safety Executive issued a rare Crown Censure – the maximum sanction against a government body – to the prison service.

Geordie Greig, editor-in-chief of The Independent, said of Ms Trew: “Bel’s journalism takes her to some of the most dangerous and under-reported places in the world, where she tells stories that would otherwise remain hidden.

“Her extraordinary investigation into the persecution of queer Nigerians living with HIV, her reporting on Boko Haram’s devastating impact on children and education, and her work exposing the human cost of conflict in the Middle East demonstrate the courage, depth and humanity of her journalism.

“What makes Bel particularly remarkable is that she goes beyond reporting the stories: she builds campaigns, produces films, brings evidence to policymakers and works to make a tangible difference to people’s lives. She is an outstanding foreign correspondent and this recognition is richly deserved.”

Commenting on Ms Bancroft’s award, Mr Greig added: “Holly’s reporting is a brilliant example of investigative journalism at its most important.

“Her painstaking work uncovering the police failures that led to Mark Carroll’s murder, exposing the devastating consequences of the radon scandal at Dartmoor and revealing the appalling conditions inside Brook House has brought stories into the public domain that would not otherwise have come to light and forced powerful institutions to answer difficult questions.

“She has demonstrated exceptional tenacity, winning the trust of victims and families and giving a voice to people who might otherwise have gone unheard.”

Media Freedom Awards 2026 winners

Investigation of the Year – National Mandelson failed vetting but Foreign Office overruled decision, The Guardian

Investigation of the Year – Regional The billionaire landlord making Londoners Homeless, London Centric

Investigation of the Year – Broadcast – National Undercover in the Police, BBC Panorama

Investigation of the Year – Broadcast – Regional Care Home Undercover, BBC Disclosure

Campaign of the Year – National Killer Kitchens, The i Paper

Campaign of the Year – Regional TEWV campaign, The Northern Echo

Commentator of the Year – Broadsheet Camilla Long, The Sunday Times

Commentator of the Year – Popular Colin Robertson, The Sun

Journalist of the Year – National Emily Dugan, The Sunday Times

Journalist of the Year – Regional Jane Haynes, BirminghamLive

Journalist of the Year – Broadcast Yogita Limaye, BBC News

Young Journalist of the Year – National Holly Bancroft, The Independent

Young Journalist of the Year – Regional Alex O’Leary, The Northern Echo

Political Journalist of the Year Lucy Fisher, Financial Times

Foreign Correspondent of the Year Bel Trew, The Independent

Photojournalist of the Year Simon Townsley, The Telegraph

Social Media Journalist of the Year Mimi Yates, Daily Mail

Scoop of the Year Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup, The Times

National News Media Organisation of the YearThe Times and The Sunday Times

Regional News Media Organisation of the Year Manchester Evening News