LONDON, 8 January 2026 – The Kurt Schork Memorial Fund today announces four winners of its annual international journalism awards, celebrating courageous work in Ukraine, Iraq and Sudan.

The 2025 Freelancer prize is awarded to Fermin Torrano, a Spanish freelance journalist who has been reporting since 2019 on the war in Ukraine. His stories span many perspectives, portraying both those who are at the heart of the conflict on the frontlines and those who are waiting back home, fighting their own battles.

The judges praised Torrano’s ability to bring distinctive angles to a series of original reports, with a strong and deeply moving focus on the human toll of war. His eye-witness accounts displayed exceptional bravery. The judges particularly commended one story, barely covered in the West, that revealed how two Columbian soldiers who had fought for Ukraine were snatched off the street in Venezuela only to reappear a month later in a Moscow jail.

The annual Local Reporter award goes to Aya Mansour, an Iraqi investigative journalist, writer and poet from Baghdad. Mansour has published work with Independent Arabia and Al Jazeera, her articles often depicting the cultures and resilience of minority groups and survivors of war.

The judges said her accounts were “chilling and thoroughly reported”; they “vitally shed light on the mechanics of oppression.” Particularly commended was the article detailing how social media and online platforms have acted as coordinated tools to set strict agendas. The judges said it was a poignant exploration into the malicious propaganda that can dwell in all corners of society. Similarly, the article revolving around abuse in an Iraqi military academy was searing.

This year, the News Fixer award is shared by Abdalrahman Altayeb and Liubov Sholudko for their outstanding work in Sudan and Ukraine, respectively. Abdalrahman Altayeb worked regularly for the New York Times, The Times of London and the Italian broadcaster RAI covering the civil war in Sudan; Liubov Scholudko worked with the New York Times and BBC correspondents on the frontlines in Ukraine.

Deciding that this year’s prize should be shared, the judges said: “It was an extremely close call. All the finalists are performing miracles in some of the world’s most dangerous and unpredictable conflicts.”

The judges commended Abdalrahman Altayeb’s extraordinary reporting, interpreting and logistical acumen which have helped to tell the world about the suffering of the Sudanese people in a devastating civil war that has been largely overlooked. His sensitive and nuanced translation skills were instrumental in securing the compelling story of a Sudanese woman who chose to work as a nurse treating the troops that had attacked her city.

The judges commended Liubov Scholudko for her innate sense of compassion, intelligence, efficiency and deep respect for the colleagues she works with and the locals she connects with. She was seen as “an essential journalistic partner” and praised as “one of the best in the business.”

The News Fixer award aims to recognise the rarely credited yet often at-risk individuals who typically act as the foreign correspondent’s eyes and ears on the ground. The prize was inspired by the freelance journalist, author and friend of Kurt Schork, Anna Husarska, and pays tribute to the vital role that these unsung heroes play in coverage from difficult, dangerous and hostile locations.

The winners of the local and freelance journalism prizes each receive a cash prize of $5,000 and their work will be highlighted on the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund’s website and through other media channels over the coming weeks. The two winners of the News Fixer Award each receive $3,000.

Details of the 2025 finalists and judges for each category are as follows:

Finalists

Freelance Journalist category:

• Eliott Brachet – Egypt
• Guillaume Pajot – France
• Patricia Huon – South Africa
• Tamar Jacoby – Ukraine

Local Reporter category:

• Abdallah Younis – State of Palestine
• Asami Terajima – Ukraine
• Manija Mirzaie – Pakistan
• Rawh Nasir Aboelgasim Osman – Uganda

News Fixer category:

• Dmytro Horyevoy – Ukraine
• Hani Alagbar – Syrian Arab Republic
• Mohammed Hassan – Syrian Arab Republic

Judges

Freelance and Local Reporter category:

• Angus MacSwan, editor, Reuters
• Giles Elgood, long-time editor, Reuters
• Matthew Mpoké Bigg, International Correspondent, New York Times

News Fixer category:

• Julian Evans, writer and journalist
• Julian Borger, The Guardian
• Dan De Luce, National Security and Global Affairs Reporter, NBC News

 Stay up to date via the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund’s social pages on Facebook, X, BlueSky and LinkedIn. The 2026 award cycle will start soon.

About the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund

Named in honour of American freelance journalist Kurt Schork, the Kurt Schork Memorial Fund exists to keep the world aware of the debt owed to brave journalists who work hard – often at great personal risk – to report on conflict, corruption and injustice. The annual Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism uniquely honour the work of freelance journalists, local reporters and news fixers, who often otherwise receive little recognition.