Independent news creators from eight countries have been selected for ICFJ’s inaugural News Creator Award for Excellence in Independent Video Journalism. The awardees represent a diverse range of media platforms and storytelling approaches, from longform videos on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement to reels challenging misconceptions of so-called “green mining” in El Salvador and more.

The winners are being honored for their innovative, reliable reporting and storytelling that advances public understanding of important issues. The award is an ICFJ initiative to recognize independent journalists and content creators worldwide who are at the forefront of a new media ecosystem.

"The media landscape is undergoing a profound transformation," said Maggie Farley, ICFJ's senior director of innovation. "These creators represent a new generation of storytellers who are breaking down traditional barriers, leveraging digital platforms to connect with audiences, and redefining what journalism can be."

The winners will be honored April 11 at the 2025 International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy. The ceremony will be hosted by Adam Banicki, Fortune's head of video. Banicki has extensive experience overseeing editorial video operations across multiple media organizations, including The Wall Street Journal, Vice Media, New York Magazine and Business Insider. 

A distinguished international jury selected award recipients by region based on original reporting or explanatory journalism of thematic importance. Independent operators and journalists working for small news organizations were eligible to apply (see the full criteria).

Learn about the winners below and hear from some of the journalists, media development professionals and others who supported their nominations:
 

• Tala Al-Sharif (Palestine) – Al-Sharif is a journalist, producer and founder of Female Chimeras, a platform dedicated to challenging stereotypes and amplifying Palestinian women’s voices. Her videos showcase the human stories of women enduring the war in Gaza. “Tala embodies the core values celebrated by the ICFJ News Creator Award – creativity, authenticity, and impact,” wrote a supporter, in Al-Sharif’s nomination packet. “Her exceptional ability to craft powerful, nuanced stories that amplify underrepresented voices positions her as a trailblazer in digital storytelling.”
  
  Videos: Intro reel, "I'm the girl everyone loves:" Have you ever imagined a salon in a tent?, "Through music, I express messages to the world," " The donkey became much better than the car"
   
• Zinc Chew (Malaysia) – Chew is a video journalist and documentary filmmaker at The Fourth, a Malaysia-based multi-platform media organization that produces short, investigative documentaries and social media content. Chew uncovers stories of statelessness, gender and labor rights, in innovative formats, such as  "Tik-Tokumentaries,” to engage a wider audience. The documentary she co-produced, "The Forgotten Babies," highlights the issue of involuntary adoptions of babies from stateless mothers in Sabah, Malaysia, and led to the reunion of a mother and child. In a letter of support, one of Chew’s references said her combination “of moral courage, strategic thinking, storytelling ability, and raw filmmaking talent makes her a force to be reckoned with.”
  
  Videos: Intro reel, The Forgotten Babies: These mothers lost their newborn babies to involuntary adoptions
   
• Adam Cole and Joss Fong (United States) –  Cole and Fong, journalists with extensive experience in science reporting and video production, run Howtown, “a YouTube channel dedicated to investigating where facts come from.” Their deeply researched videos help make sense of complex topics such as the spread of misinformation on X, COVID-19 data and human evolution – in a conversational style that keeps people watching. “I do not think it is an exaggeration that Adam and Joss are the two most talented science video journalists in the world,” wrote one of the people who supported their nomination.
  
  Videos: Intro reel, The elusive science of animal sentience, How X broke the news, The ancient hook-up that changed humanity
   
• Yuri Alves Fernandes (Brazil) – Fernandes is a journalist and screenwriter who serves as the partner and general director of #Colabora, a Brazilian journalism platform dedicated to sustainability and human rights. He created “LGBT+60: Bodies that Resist,” an award-winning documentary web series that tells the stories of elderly LGBT+ people in Brazil. The series, which has been screened at universities, festivals and museums, has sparked discussions about aging and representation. “His work stood out for its exceptional sensitivity, respect, and empowering approach,” wrote a supporter backing Fernandes’ nomination. “He ensured that the stories of his subjects were told with dignity, giving them the space to be the true protagonists of their narratives.”
  
  Videos: Intro reel, LGBT+60: Corpos que Resistem / LGBT+60: Bodies that Resist
   
• Green Bean Media (United Kingdom - Exiled): Green Bean Media is an exile media organization serving as an information lifeline about Hong Kong, amid curtailed independent media. Their work focuses on high-quality, reliable news of public interest, with an emphasis on original reporting and explanatory journalism. In support of Green Bean Media’s nomination, one person wrote: “I always marvelled at [the] team's upholding the highest standards of investigative reporting – honesty, serving as a voice for those who are disadvantaged and standing up steadfastly to pose questions to those with authority.”
  
  Videos: Intro reel, A reshaped Hong Kong under the trial of the 47, Letters from the imprisoned: Chow Hang Tung, 2024 A turning point in Hong Kong
   
• Anita Li (Canada) – Li is the publisher and CEO of The Green Line, a hyperlocal news outlet for Torontonians that reports on solutions, actions and resources in a way that makes “important information less boring and more user-friendly.” Using a community-driven reporting approach, The Green Line has raised awareness and prompted community discussions on topics such as pedestrian safety, transit inequity and evictions. The Green Line deserves the award, wrote one supporter, “because they are using digital tools and platforms first to tell stories and cover issues for a different generation and set of audiences than traditional media."
  
  Videos: Intro reel, Are you covered under the Residential Tenant's Act?, Why you're at risk every time you cross this intersection in Scarborough, Scarborough transit access: 'No, it's not equal. Definitely not equal'
   
• Samuel Munia (Kenya) – Munia is an investigative journalist and filmmaker dedicated to exposing systemic injustices and training the next generation of storytellers. Working with Africa Uncensored, he focuses on in-depth, investigative storytelling, using innovative techniques such as spy cameras, drone technology and data visualization. His work has had significant impact, leading to increased public awareness, policy changes and community engagement. Backing his nomination, a reference said: “Despite spending most of his career behind the camera, [Samuel’s] stories have become distinctive in their identity; they always put people first.”
  
  Videos: Intro reel, Trapped by terror: Life and death in Kenya's Boni forest and Greed vs green
   

• Marcela Trejo (El Salvador) – Trejo is a multimedia journalist for Focos (Spotlights), an investigative media outlet that uses social media platforms to engage and reach audiences. Trejo adapts complex topics into short, dynamic videos, using relatable characters and clear storytelling to make them accessible to young people. Trejo’s work has focused on issues such as land acquisition by government leaders and the concept of "green mining.” "Marcela consistently upholds the highest standards of ethics and journalistic integrity,” a reference wrote in Trejo’s nomination packet. “Their work is thorough and well-researched, always prioritizing accountability for decision-makers and using their content as a platform for marginalized voices, such as women and [the] LGBTIQ+ population."
  
  Videos: Intro reel, Bukele, el nuevo terrateniente de la finca (Bukele, the new estate landowner),  ¿Existe la minería “verde”? (Does “green mining” exist?)