The countdown is on for the IJ4EU Impact Award 2025, Europe’s top honour for impactful cross-border investigative journalism. We are excited to unveil the remarkable jury entrusted with selecting this year’s winners.
Made up of celebrated journalists and committed defenders of media freedom, the jury brings a wealth of experience to recognising work that breaks new ground, holds power to account, and inspires change across borders.
Earlier in August 2025, the jury gathered to review every eligible nomination from across Europe and beyond. After careful discussion and thorough evaluation, they have chosen three outstanding investigations that embody the very best of collaborative watchdog reporting.
The winners will be announced on 26 September at the award ceremony closing UNCOVERED, IJ4EU’s annual conference, hosted in Athens as part of the iMEdD International Journalism Forum.
Meet the jury celebrating Europe’s most impactful cross-border investigations:
A leading media lawyer, Gill Phillips has defended some of the boldest investigative journalism of recent years. As The Guardian’s Director of Editorial Legal Services for over a decade, she helped reporters publish in the public interest and withstand legal threats. Today, she works with NGOs and non-profits as an editorial legal consultant, co-edits McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists, teaches media law at City St George’s University, and consults with Reviewed and Cleared. Chair of the 2025 IJ4EU Impact Award jury, Phillips remains a vital ally for watchdog reporters, ensuring that courageous stories see the light of day.
Mira Milosevic is a global leader in shaping sustainable, rights-based media ecosystems. As Executive Director of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), she has transformed the organisation into a trusted policy and knowledge hub, forging high-level partnerships and influencing decision-makers worldwide. With over two decades of experience at the intersection of media, technology, economics, and policy, Mira advises governments, international bodies, and platforms on issues like platform governance, digital markets, and the future of information. Serving in expert groups for the UN, OSCE, and OECD, she champions innovation while protecting press freedom, making her an essential voice in global debates on journalism in the digital era.
Maribel Königer, Director Journalism and Media at ERSTE Foundation, drives initiatives that strengthen investigative journalism and public-interest media across Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Through her leadership, ERSTE Foundation has become a pivotal supporter of watchdog journalism and resilient media landscapes, ensuring that journalists can uncover stories that matter and keep democratic debate alive. She represents the foundation on the Pluralis supervisory board, supporting media pluralism in CEE. She is also a co-initiator of the Media Forward Fund, fostering sustainable business models for DACH-region newsrooms. Maribel serves on the steering committee of Philea’s Journalism Funders Forum, working to expand resources for investigative reporting.
Paul Caruana Galizia is an award-winning investigative journalist at the Financial Times, known for reporting that has triggered parliamentary inquiries, dismantled a multi-billion-pound hedge fund, and exposed misconduct at the highest levels of culture and finance. His book A Death in Malta, about the assassination of his mother, journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, won the Cornelius Ryan Award for best book on international affairs. Chair of the 2024 IJ4EU Impact Award jury, Paul continues to champion hard-hitting investigative work that makes an impact. His reporting blends tenacity, precision, and a deep belief in journalism’s power to deliver truth and accountability.
Kolja Weber is founder and CEO of FlokiNET, a secure hosting provider established in Iceland in 2012 to serve journalists, NGOs, and civil society. Combining technical expertise with activism, he advocates for digital safety as a cornerstone of free expression and a free press. Weber is a frequent speaker on digital rights, online security, and the tools that help investigative journalists protect sources, data, and stories. His work equips newsrooms and whistleblowers with infrastructure that supports complex, high-stakes reporting, ensuring that watchdog journalism can thrive even under pressure.