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Journalists Stephanie Wangari of Kenya and Annie Zulu of Zambia Win 2026 Michael Elliott Award

Stephanie Wangari of Kenya and Annie Zulu of Zambia are the 2026 winners of the Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling for their reporting that captures both the promise and the peril facing African communities today.

ICFJ Elliott Award Alumni to Investigate Press Freedom and Democracy Threats Across Africa

Three winners of the ICFJ Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling, supported by ICFJ reporting grants, will investigate the growing threats to press freedom and democracy across Africa. Their reports will examine how challenges ranging from AI-enabled surveillance to coordinated online attacks against journalists are impacting African societies.

ICFJ Elliott Award: Khalid Bencherif, Amplifying Marginalized Voices in North Africa

Khalid Bencherif is a freelance investigative journalist who works on environment reporting and AI-related projects. Originally from Morocco's Tafilalet region, he is currently based in Berlin. For Bencherif, winning the Elliott Award was a big career boost. “ICFJ gave me a strong push to develop my career, it enhanced my CV crucially, which led me to get more journalism opportunities, including fellowships and grants,” he says.

ICFJ Elliott Award: Kunle Adebajo, on Building a Data Journalism Career

Kunle Adebajo is a journalist and editor covering illicit financial flows, information manipulations, the environment and more, with a focus on Africa. He is currently the editor of the African Academy for Open Source Investigations at Code for Africa (CfA). He is the 2023 winner of the ICFJ Michael Elliott Award. “The capacity-building work ICFJ does, both online and offline, is immensely important. We have many talented young journalists who only need some guidance and support to reach their full potential,” he says.

ICFJ Elliott Award: Zainab Bala, Producing People-Centered Stories That Drive Accountability

Zainab Bala is the team lead and editor of The Scoop Storytelling Initiative, a non-profit journalism platform dedicated to expanding underrepresented voices in Nigeria. She covers gender, climate, community affairs and other topics, with a focus on West Africa.

ICFJ Elliott Award: Linda Ngari, "More Often Than Not, There's a Foreign Influence in Issues Faced Locally"

Linda Ngari is a freelance journalist from Kenya who covers gender rights, mis- and disinformation and climate change.

ICFJ Elliott Award: Nalova Akua, From Lake Ossa to The Economist

Nalova Akua is a freelance journalist who writes for a variety of outlets, such as The Guardian, Al Jazeera, Columbia Journalism Review and The Associated Press. He reports on a range of topics from conflicts and politics to science and health.

ICFJ Elliott Award: Dorcas Wangira on the Pressing Need for Global Health Journalism

Dorcas Wangira is a freelance journalist based in Kenya who covers science and health. In 2019, she won ICFJ’s Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling and the experience was a big career boost. “The award was a catalyst for my career growth,” she says. Since then she’s mentored other journalists.

ICFJ Elliott Award: Kemi Busari Uses Fact-Checking to Drive Real Change in Africa

Kemi Busari is a journalist and editor at DUBAWA, a fact-checking outlet focused on West Africa. He covers West Africa, disinformation and media literacy. He’s a 2024 winner of the Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling. Busari reflects upon his experiences with ICFJ and why the organization’s work must continue. “For years, ICFJ has been at the forefront of supporting these journalists through funding, training, mentorship, fellowships, and institutional backing. Several of my colleagues have directly benefited from these programs,” he says. In 2025, one of Busari’s mentees at DUBAWA won the Elliott Award with a story Busari edited. “This is a clear testament to the lasting impact of the experience ICFJ provided,” he says. Originally, from Nigeria. Busari divides his time between Abuja and Maryland.

Journalists from Nigeria and Ghana Win 2025 Michael Elliott Award

Godwin Asediba and Silas Jonathan are the 2025 winners of the Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling.