Investigative Journalism Thrives: 284 Submissions Mark Another Record the EU Award
The EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2025 has once again attracted remarkable interest, beating last year’s record-breaking number of applications. A total of 284 investigative stories from seven countries in the Western Balkans and Türkiye were submitted – a testament to the strength and commitment of investigative journalism across the region.
This year’s call for entries, open from 16 May to 16 June 2025, drew work from both individual journalists and cross-border teams, representing 120 media outlets, including 37 local media organisations.
Journalists submitted their work for both national-level awards and the regional competition,, which celebrates outstanding cross-border investigations:
- 230 applications for national awards
- 40 for the regional award only
- 60 submitted for both categories
The call also registered a record-breaking number of applications in Albania, with a total of 62 submissions. The division by countries includes:
The evaluation phase is now underway. Independent juries of respected journalists and media professionals in each country and at regional level will review the submissions, assessing the depth of research, ethical standards, originality and public impact. The winning stories will be announced at national and regional ceremonies in late 2025.
The EU Award for Investigative Journalism forms part of the EU-funded project “Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in the Western Balkans and Türkiye II”, implemented by a consortium that includes the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN Hub), Central European University (CEU) in Hungary, Association of Journalists (AJ) in Türkiye, Thomson Media (TM) in Germany, University Goce Delchev Shtip (UGD) in North Macedonia, The Independent Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) in North Macedonia, Media Association of South-East Europe (MASE) in Montenegro, and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network Kosovo (BIRN Kosovo).
