Harvey, Illinois (September 20, 2025) —The Human Rights and Religious Freedom (HRRF) Journalism Awards announced the winners of its 2025 edition at a ceremony held in Harvey, Illinois, on Saturday, September 20. The awards recognize outstanding reporting that amplifies urgent issues of human rights, religious freedom, and solidarity in India and among its diaspora.
The 2025 awards honored journalists across five categories, highlighting their courage, rigor, and commitment to truth in the face of rising threats to press freedom.
This year, we received more than 250 entries across six categories.
Here is the list of finalists and winners:
Best Text Reporting on Human Rights & Religious Freedom (English)
Finalists
Nolina Sarah Minj
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Akanksha Kumar
Newslaundry / Article 14
Parth Meena Nikhil
Rest of World
Winner
Akanksha Kumar
Newslaundry / Article 14
(Series on fake police encounters and criminalization of Muslims in Haryana state)
Inside UP clean chit to STF encounter death No. 25: An autopsy ‘cover-up’, other loopholes
In Prayagraj, a mother’s battle against UP cops for man’s death after ‘staged encounter’
Cut, copy, charge: Inside Haryana police’s flawed case on Nuh violence
Best Reporting on Human Rights & Religious Freedom (Hindi)
Finalists
Siddharth Sarathe
The Quint Hindi
Umang Poddar
BBC Hindi
Shruti Sharma & Ankit Raj
The Wire Hindi
Winner
Umang Poddar
BBC Hindi
दिल्ली दंगों के पाँच साल: बरी होते लोग, पुलिस की जाँच पर उठते सवाल
दिल्ली दंगों के पाँच साल: कुछ हिंसा के आरोप से बरी हुए तो कुछ बिना सुनवाई अब भी जेल में
Best Story on Human Solidarity
Finalists
Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed & Team Frontline
Frontline Magazine
Mini P Thomas
The Times of India
Priyanka Arjun Tupe
Behan Box
Winner
Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed & Team Frontline
Frontline Magazine
“Together We Sing” – A Frontline Perspectives Documentary
Best Video Story on Human Rights and Religious Freedom
Finalists
Meghna Bali, Bhat Burhan & Mohammad Sartaj Alam
ABC News
Ashfaque E.J & Saurabh Kumar
Newslaundry
Jyoti Jangra
Newsreel Asia
Joint Winners
Meghna Bali, Bhat Burhan & Mohammad Sartaj Alam
ABC News
Hindu nationalists block Christian funerals in India
HRRF Young Journalist of the Year Award 2025
Finalists
Aliza Noor
The Quint
Tarushi Aswani
Independent Journalist
Rokibuz Zaman
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Winner
Rokibuz Zaman
Human Rights and Religious Freedom Journalism Award (Special Mention)
Aditya Menon, Aliza Noor, Syed Faheem Ahmed, Ashutosh Singh, Naman Shah and Zijah Sherwani
The Quint
Uncovering Hate: The Quint’s Tracker
