Three investigative journalists have been chosen as the finalists for the 2026 Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award. The successful candidates from Nigeria, Kenya and Mexico were selected ahead of 214 other journalists across 56 countries who entered this year’s competition.
The Foreign Press Association (FPA) judging panel praised their 'curiosity, courage, humanity and commitment to telling difficult stories'.
Meet the finalists
Aaron Atsahyel – Nigeria
In the documentary Gallari Mass Arrest; 12 years after for Trust TV in Nigeria, Aaron Atsahyel follows families searching for answers about 42 men from their community who disappeared after being arrested, allegedly by Nigerian soldiers.
The 27-year-old journalist, a former winner of the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting speaks to the women and children left behind as well as three men who were released years later. They recount their ordeal in harrowing detail.
Aaron says it’s an honour to be shortlisted and ‘a powerful affirmation that the stories I tell from underserved and high-risk communities across sub-Saharan Africa matter’.
Humberto Basilio – Mexico
Humberto Basilio, a 29-year-old freelance journalist from Mexico spent 18 months working on an investigation for Science Magazine about a celebrated but controversial herpetologist.
He interviewed 40 sources for the piece which exposes the challenges facing modern conservation.
Humberto, who covers health, climate and science stories says he is especially proud to be recognised as a freelance journalist. “At a time of climate, health and humanitarian crises, this recognition reaffirms my belief that science and environmental journalism still matter deeply,” he says.
William Kamau – Kenya
William Kamau worked on an eight-month undercover investigation to expose how Kenyan and Ugandan jobseekers were allegedly being trafficked into online fraud compounds in Myanmar.
In the documentary for Africa Uncensored, the 29-year-old journalist spoke to survivors who were reportedly sold by recruitment agents and forced to endure grim and at times brutal conditions working as scammers in Myanmar.
William says being in the top three for the Young Journalist award is "a validation that difficult stories, told with care, still matter."
“For me, this isn't just recognition of three stories; it's recognition of everyone who trusted us enough to speak,” he says.
Special mention
The judges this year made the unusual decision to award a special mention to a fourth journalist. They said Hauwa Shaffii Nuhu from Nigeria had done an “outstanding job and deserves recognition”. Writing for Hum Angle, the 27-year-old journalist investigates the rise of the militant group Boko Haram and its founder Mohammed Yusuf.
Why investigative journalism matters
Catherine Mackie, Thomson’s Learning Manager, praised the finalists for the months they spent digging for evidence, tracking down witnesses and finding corroborating testimony. “The wider impact of these stories is a reminder of the critical role played by investigative journalism and why it deserves continued support,” she says.
The Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year is run in partnership with the UK Foreign Press Association (FPA). Finalists are invited to London for newsroom visits and the FPA Media Awards on 30 November 2026. The award is open to journalists aged 30 and under working in countries with a Gross National Income per capita of US$20,000 or less.
