The Tenacious Awards provide funding and mentoring to campaigners and journalists to help them achieve their goals
The Tenacious Awards recognises the contribution of campaigning and journalism to the public good.
Launched in 2023 by Changing Ideas, these awards back campaigners and journalists with true tenacity, working to right an injustice. Our funding and support gives campaigners the freedom to push for change, the space to explore new approaches, and the networks to build momentum.
2026 Tenacious Campaigners
Meet the 2026 Tenacious Campaigners
They are taking on care-worker rights, preventable deaths of learning disabled and autistic people, toxic pollution in our food system, hidden pharmaceutical trial data, harmful chemicals in household furniture, online safety, waste incineration, financial misconduct, access to lifesaving medicines, dark money in politics, and the impact of AI and online misogyny on women and girls.
Congratulations to Rachel Kelso / Homecare Voices, George Julian / Open Justice, Jo Hirst and Doreen Goldie, Till Bruckner / TranspariMED, Delyth Fetherston-Dilke, Ian Russell / Molly Rose Foundation, Shlomo Dowen and Josh Dowen / UK Without Incineration Network, Andy Agathangelou / Transparency Task Force, Gayle Pledger / CF Global, Peter Geoghegan / Democracy for Sale, and Soma Sara / Everyone’s Invited.
2026 Tenacious Journalists
We’re proud to announce the 2026 cohort of Tenacious Journalists.
Working across environmental justice, food systems, health, public services, careDr, technology, local democracy, corporate wrongdoing, financial abuse and political power, these journalists are pursuing stories that demand scrutiny. Their reporting exposes injustice, challenges misinformation and malpractice, gives voice to people too often unheard, and helps create the conditions for meaningful change.
Congratulations to Clare Carlile and DeSmog, Yemisi Bokinni, Ben Gartside, Karin Goodwin and The Ferret, Cormac Kehoe, Katharine Quarmby, Max Peigne and Investigate Europe, Rhys Everquill and Leicester Gazette, Adele Walton, and Tom Wall and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
2025 Tenacious Campaigners
We’re proud to announce the 2025 cohort of Tenacious Campaigners!
Working across digital safety, modern slavery, parental leave and maternity care justice, gambling harms, knife crime, Mental Capacity Act reform, learning from preventable deaths, domestic abuse justice, sentencing reform, these campaigners have shown extraordinary skill and determination fighting injustice and driving meaningful change.
Congratulations to the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project (Esther Ghey) After Exploitation (Maya Esslemont), Annie Ashton, Dad Shift (Alex Lloyd Hunter), Delivering Better (Jo Cruse), FazAmnesty (Faron Paul), Fiona Laskaris, Preventable Deaths Tracker (Dr Georgia Richards), Project Resist – Suicide is Homicide, and UNGRIPP.
2025 Tenacious Journalists
In October 2024, we announced a new annual award celebrating the power of tenacious journalism. We are backing journalists to cover stories that have the widest and deepest impact.
The Tenacious Journalist Award recognises the contribution of public interest journalists and supports them to expose important stories and inspire real social change.
Congratulations to Adam Bychawski, Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, Finbarr Toesland, John Plummer, Rhiannon J Davies, Sarah Hartley, Sean Morrison, Tabitha Stapely and Wil Crisp.
2024 Tenacious Campaigners
We’re proud to announce the 2024 cohort of Tenacious Campaigners.
Working across housing, health, climate, the environment, gender justice, protest injunctions, gambling, migration and tech harms, these campaigners have shown extraordinary skill and determination fighting injustice and driving meaningful change.
Congratulations to Georgia Elliot Smith, Harry Scoffin, Janey Starling, Kath Sansom, Not1More, Matt Staniek, Munya Radzi, Smartphone Free Childhood and Will Prochaska.