The awards ceremony for the best investigative journalism reports has just concluded. Three Awards for Excellence in Investigative Journalism and one special prize were granted by an international jury at the end of the first day of the Regional Forum of Investigative Journalists. The awards are presented by the Center for Investigative Journalism from Moldova (CIJM) with support from the Soros Foundation Moldova.

The competition was conceived as a way to recognize excellence in the field and to highlight the power of investigative journalism in strengthening democratic and European values.

The laureates of the Excellence Award were announced during a festive ceremony held at the Regional Forum of Investigative Journalists.

In her opening remarks, Cornelia Cozonac, President of the CIJM, emphasized that the competition was created as a way to reward outstanding work in investigative journalism and to acknowledge its essential role in promoting democratic values.

“Three prizes of €1,000 each are awarded for three categories: Print Media, TV Media, and Cross-border Investigations. The awards will be directed to the editorial offices of the winning journalists, to support the production of a new investigative story. Additionally, a special prize of €500 is awarded.”

Co-host of the ceremony, TVR Moldova journalist Vadim Cheptanaru, provided details about the international jury.

“The investigations were evaluated by a jury of five experienced investigative journalists from Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine. The jury selected the top 11 investigations from a total of 35 entries submitted by media outlets from Moldova and abroad, as well as independent journalists.

The evaluation was based on strict criteria: quality of research and sourcing, subject complexity, depth of investigative work, public impact and relevance, adherence to ethical standards, innovation, and the courage of the authors.”

The envelopes with the winners’ names were opened by Gohar Khodjayan (International Media Support, Denmark), Daniela Vidaicu (Director, Soros-Moldova), Corina Cepoi (media expert), and Oleg Khomenok (jury member).

Winners by Category:

Print Media Category:
Natalia Zaharescu and Măriuța Nistor, Ziarul de Gardă – "In Moscow's Service"

TV and Radio Category:
Mariana Rață and Stela Mihailovici, TV8 – "The Energy Smart Guys"

Cross-Border Investigative Journalism:
Malvina Cojocari and the international team, Media Cu Sens Project – "The Russian Brainwashing Machine"

Special Prize:
Dorin Rusu, TV NORD – "Tax Service Employees Hired for Corruption"

This year’s competition brought together 26 journalists and editorial teams from 12 media outlets in Moldova and abroad, including independent journalists. A total of 35 investigative pieces produced between 2024 and 2025 were submitted.