Meet the world's bravest reporters at CPJ's 34th annual awards, hosted by John Oliver

John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, will be master of ceremonies at the event, which will be chaired by Jessica E. Lessin, founder and CEO of The Information.

Christophe Deloire was the head of media freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Source: RSF.

The Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award, presented annually by CPJ, honours exceptional commitment to press freedom. Formerly the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award, it was renamed in 2017 to commemorate journalist and former CPJ board member Gwen Ifill.

Christophe Deloire, a steadfast global advocate for press freedom, led Reporters Without Borders (RSF) for 12 years, expanding its influence and initiating programs like the Journalism Trust Initiative to build public trust in media, and the Forum for Democracy to counter threats to democratic freedoms. Previously an investigative journalist and head of the Centre de formation des journalistes (CFJ) in France, Deloire championed journalists worldwide. He passed away on 8 June 2024, at age 53, after battling cancer.

Champions

• Shrouq Al Aila - a Palestinian journalist, producer, and researcher reporting from the Gaza Strip. Al Aila took charge of Ain Media, an independent production company specialising in professional media services, after her husband – who co-founded the company – was killed in the Israel-Gaza war. 
• Alsu Kurmasheva - a dual US-Russian citizen, is a journalist and editor at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Kurmasheva was detained in Russia in October 2023 and in July was sentenced to 6½ years in prison on charges of spreading “fake” news about the Russian army. She was released by Russia in August 2024 as part of an historic prisoner exchange.
• Quimy de León - a Guatemalan journalist, medical professional, and historian with over 20 years of professional experience. She is a co-founder of Prensa Comunitaria, a news agency specialising in environmental and human rights issues. Her work with the outlet has led to relentless threats from corporate and governmental forces. In 2017, de León founded Ruda, a feminist digital magazine devoted to sexual and reproductive rights.
• Samira Sabou- a prominent investigative journalist in Niger. She has been arrested, detained and subjected to years of legal harassment because of her reporting on governance issues throughout her career. Sabou, who publishes mainly on her Facebook page, is the president of the Association of Bloggers for Active Citizenship, an organisation that advocates for freedom of expression and the rights of women and youth.