True Story Award Expands to Three Categories for 2025 Edition

The True Story Award, a prestigious international journalism prize, is set to be presented for the fifth time on June 20, 2025. This esteemed award promotes transparency and media freedom globally, and starting from 2025, it will be conferred in three distinct categories: research, storytelling, and impact ¹.

The competition, which carries a prize of $20,000, will be open for submissions until October 22, 2024. Last year’s award saw an impressive 947 entries from 102 countries, with Indian journalist Rahul Bhatia emerging as the winner for his thought-provoking report, “The Trials of an Indian Witness: How a Muslim Man was caught in a Legal Nightmare,” published in The Guardian.

The True Story Award ceremony is a highlight of the True Story Festival, which brings together renowned journalists from around the world to share their research and engage with the audience. The festival offers a unique platform for insightful discussions and exchange of ideas. In 2025, the festival will take place on June 21 and 22, featuring around 40 individual events across various locations in Bern.

Key Highlights of the True Story Award 2025:

• Categories: Research, Storytelling, and Impact
• Prize Money: $20,000
• Submission Deadline: October 22, 2024
• Award Ceremony: June 20, 2025
• True Story Festival: June 21-22, 2025, in Bern

This award and festival are a testament to the power of journalism in promoting transparency and media freedom worldwide.

New Categories and Increased Recognition

For the first time, the True Story Award will be presented in three categories:

1. True Story Award Research: Honoring outstanding journalistic research, considering scope, time invested, and country-specific circumstances.

2. True Story Award Storytelling: Recognizing reporters’ writing talent, emphasizing journalistic craftsmanship, truthfulness, and narrative elegance.

3. True Story Award Impact: Acknowledging reports with significant societal, political, or economic impact.

Each category winner will receive a $20,000 cash prize.

Submission Guidelines

Eligible reports must be:

– Published between October 1, 2023, and September 30, 2024

– Written in one of the ten most important world languages or translated from the original

– Submitted by October 22, 2024 (12 pm UTC)

Editors can also submit reports from their publications.

Jury and Selection Process

A renowned jury of experts from journalism, publishing, teaching, and literature will evaluate submissions, nominating one author per category and language region. Thirty-six journalists will be invited to attend the True Story Award ceremony and True Story Festival in Bern, Switzerland, from June 20-22, 2025.

True Story Festival

The festival brings together journalists from around the world, offering a platform for insightful discussions and exchange of ideas. The main jury, representing all five continents, will select the three winners from the nominated reports.

Last Year’s Winner

Indian journalist Rahul Bhatia won the 2024 True Story Award for his report “The Trials of an Indian Witness: How a Muslim Man was caught in a Legal Nightmare,” published in The Guardian.

Participate and Celebrate Exceptional Journalism

Submit your entries now and join the True Story Award community in celebrating outstanding journalism.

For more information and submission guidelines, visit [https://truestoryaward.org/]