Pulitzer Center Grantees Win SOPA Awards

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The Pulitzer Center is proud to announce that multiple of its supported stories have won prestigious awards at the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Awards for Editorial Excellence. These awards celebrate the highest standards in journalism across the Asia-Pacific region. Our grantees have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to investigative reporting, photography, and bahasa Indonesia news reporting.

Founded in Hong Kong in 1982, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) promotes just practices in the publishing industry, upholds journalistic standards, and advocates for press freedom and journalists' rights in the Asia-Pacific region, according to their website. The SOPA Awards for Editorial Excellence, established in 1999, honor exceptional journalism and have become a highlight of the regional media calendar. The awards are overseen by SOPA's Editorial Committee, composed of senior journalists, and administered by the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at The University of Hong Kong. Each year, over 90 awards are given across various categories.

Indonesian newspaper Kompas won an award for the story "Food Independence Emergency in the Islands" by Ahmad Arif, Frans Pati Herin, Saiful Rijal Yunus, and Yola Sastra. Kompas was recognized for its in-depth reporting on food self-sufficiency in Indonesia's islands. This compelling story highlights the urgent need for sustainable food practices in remote areas, bringing attention to a critical issue affecting local communities.

Andy Ball took home an award for photos featured in "How Dams in China Are Destroying Livelihoods Downstream in Cambodia" in the South China Morning Post. Ball's powerful photography captures the devastating impact of dam construction in China on communities in Cambodia. His striking images bring to light the environmental and human consequences of these developments, emphasizing the need for greater awareness and action.

Initium Media's story "Smoking for the State" by grantee Jason McLure and contributors Jude Chan, Christoph Giesen, Aisha Kehoe Down, and Lara Dihmis won the award for excellence in business writing in Chinese. Photos from this project also secured third place in the Chinese photojournalism category.

Vo Kieu Bao Uyen earned an award for the Earth Journalism Network for her contribution to “It’s a Wash,” a collaborative investigative report from 11 journalists across nine countries. Her two-part series, "Smoke, Mirrors, Wood Pellets: Vietnam Clears Native Forest To Supply ‘Clean’ Energy to Asia" and "A Thorny Dilemma: Acacia Plantations in Vietnam May Not Be All That Green," delves into the environmental impact of Vietnam’s woody biomass industry. This insightful work, a collaboration between Mekong Eye and the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Investigations Network, scrutinizes whether the country’s biomass is a sustainable energy source or a driver of ecological harm.

The Rappler investigative team won the Carlos Tejada Award for Excellence in Investigative Reporting for their Pulitzer Center-supported project Immunity and Impunity: How Diplomats Get Away With Exploiting Domestic Workers. The team was honored for their thorough and courageous reporting on the abuses faced by migrant domestic workers at the hands of diplomats. This important investigation exposes systemic issues and calls for accountability to protect vulnerable individuals.

Representing her team's success, Rappler journalist Ana Santos said, "Pulitzer Center reporting grants give us journalists the gift of time. Time to immerse ourselves in the complexity of issues and most importantly,  time to earn the trust of our interviewees. When we are allowed into the lives of our subjects, we get to know them beyond their experiences of abuse. Hopefully, our reportage allows our readers to know our subjects as people who like them dream of a better life for themselves and those they love."

We are proud to have funded these award-winning projects, enabling our grantees to conduct thorough investigations and produce compelling stories. By partnering with journalists and news outlets worldwide, we help bring important narratives to a broader audience, fostering greater understanding and prompting action. These SOPA Awards highlight the exceptional work of our grantees and reaffirm the Pulitzer Center's dedication to promoting high-quality journalism. 

See the full list of awards winners here.