The i Paper was named national website of the year at Press Gazette’s Future of Media Awards 2025 as the winners were announced on Thursday night.
Judges praised the DMGT-owned website for “impressive audience growth and some interesting innovations” as well as its attempts to build trust by emphasising its lack of political slant and its user-friendly design.
Iliffe Media’s Kent Online was named regional website of the year, with praise for “doing the fundamentals of local journalism well” and good progress with its paying audience.
Data-focused sports publisher Opta Analyst was crowned specialist/B2B website of the year due to its influence in the world of sport and providing “distinctive content you can’t get elsewhere”.
The Future of Media Awards celebrate the best in online journalism and technical and commercial innovation, providing a platform for great editorial work. They are not restricted to UK-based publishers.
Two publishers each won two awards: The Guardian and the Financial Times.
The Guardian was recognised for its app, which underwent a major relaunch this year, and for its reader revenue strategy, which delivered more than £100m total income for the first time last year.
The FT won the online video (specialist/regional) category for its film about Russian executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war, with the judges describing it as an “excellent use of expert specialist reporters”.
And it won the digital storytelling (national/international) category for the third year running, this time with its interactive and data-led article Are the robots finally coming?.
The Telegraph won the advertising technology prize for the second year running, but with a different product. This year digital display advertising product Digital Hero was recognised.
Other publishers recognised ranged from environmental news provider Mongabay for its digital storytelling and Reach’s Teesside Live website for its live blog coverage of double jeopardy murderer Billy Dunlop’s parole hearing, to Daily Mail for its conclave live blog and Politico for the London Playbook newsletter.
The Sun was praised for its Madeleine McCann documentary containing “unseen evidence”, The Times for its Cocaine Inc podcast, and The Lead for its news, features and investigations covering the North of England on Substack.
The winners were announced at a gala dinner at London’s Hilton Bankside hotel. The ceremony followed the Future of Media Technology Conference held during the day.
You can revisit the Future of Media Awards 2025 shortlist here and see the full list of winners and highly commended finalists below.
Future of Media Awards 2025 winners
Advertising Technology, sponsored by Admiral
WINNER: The Telegraph – Digital Hero
The judges said: “This entry combines a high impact advertising format with clear presentation of data to show measurable results. In a world where online advertising can be bewilderingly complex, it was nice to see the benefits achieved through a simple, common sense approach.”
App of the Year, sponsored by Pugpig
WINNER: The Guardian
The judges said: “With thorough understanding of user needs, based on research, this title delivers an outstanding journalism UX. Readers feel taken care of, rather than overwhelmed, with a structure that means they understand where they are at all times.”
Highly commended: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung – Der Tag
Digital Storytelling (National/International)
WINNER: Financial Times visual storytelling team – Are the robots finally coming?
The judges said: “Excellent blend of interactive elements, textual narrative, data-enhanced journalism and interactive scrolling animation.”
Highly commended: The Hindu – Gaza war: A worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza – a timeline
Highly commended: Daily Mail’s Deep Dive – Grenfell: How the tragedy unfolded
Digital Storytelling (Specialist/Regional)
WINNER: Mongabay – Indigenous leaders killed as narco airstrips cut into their Amazon territories
The judges said: “This year’s winner was a specialist environmental news service covering Latin America. Praised by judges for powerful use of an interactive map, excellent photography and creative use of AI to power an investigation.”
Live Journalism (National/International), sponsored by Tickaroo
WINNER: Daily Mail – Papal conclave live coverage
The judges said: “This was a really engaging live blog covering the papal conclave and beyond with lots of entertaining angles.”
Live Journalism (Specialist/Regional), sponsored by Tickaroo
WINNER: Teesside Live – Billy Dunlop coverage
The judges said: “The standard of the copy in the liveblog is excellent with well chosen quotes and breaks giving a vivid account of the courtroom scene. Impressive commitment from both the reporter unearthing the story and the media organisation backing it.”
Newsletter of the Year (National/International)
WINNER: Politico – London Playbook
The judges said: “This daily newsletter consistently provides a witty inside track on the world of politics. Highly relevant to its audience with a gossipy but informative style.”
Highly commended: Prospect – Lightbulb
Newsletter of the Year (Specialist/Regional)
WINNER: The Lead North
The judges said: “A wonderful example of local news journalism fighting back with original reporting, and an eye to rebuilding a local news ecosystem fit for the 21st century.”
Online Video (National/International)
WINNER: The Sun – Madeleine McCann: The Unseen Evidence
The judges said: “An excellent piece of investigative journalism, marrying new revelations with visually compelling storytelling.”
Highly commended: New Lines Magazine – Role Reversals: A Palestinian in the Jewish Museum of Berlin
Online Video (Specialist/Regional)
WINNER: Financial Times – ‘Film me!’: Russia’s executions of Ukrainian POWs point to a policy
The judges said: “Great research and gripping storytelling which justify the allegation at the heart of this film. Excellent use of expert specialist reporters.”
Podcast of the Year (National/International)
WINNER: The Times and Sunday Times – Cocaine Inc.
The judges said: “This was a complex and intriguing story – led by a powerful first-person account cueing up a wide-reaching issue. Very powerful and with high production values.”
Podcast of the Year (Specialist/Regional)
WINNER: Reduced Listening/BBC – Criminally Queer: The Bolton 7
The judges said: “Great storytelling, brilliant concept and it’s genuinely made a difference.”
Reader Revenue Strategy
WINNER: The Guardian – Transforming digital reader revenue at scale
The judges said: “Really impressive strategy work here, showing how a combination of a strong relationship with readers, coupled with the agility to put the right offer in front of them at the right time, can deliver impressive results.”
Highly commended: Kyiv Independent – Membership retention and engagement strategy
Website of the Year (Specialist/B2B), sponsored by Stibo DX
WINNER: Opta Analyst
The judges said: “Distinctive content you can’t get elsewhere and easy to navigate. This title is supremely influential across the world of sport and the best in the business at what it does.”
Highly commended: The Jewish Chronicle
Website of the Year (Regional/Local), sponsored by Stibo DX
WINNER: Kent Online
The judges said: “Excellent, deeply reported journalism, ambitious election coverage and proper court reporting. This is a website which is doing the fundamentals of local journalism well and it is encouraging to see it attract a growing paying audience.”
Website of the Year (National/International), sponsored by PushPushGo
WINNER: The i Paper
The judges said: “Impressive audience growth and some interesting innovations. This site is using transparency and a lack of political allegiances to build trust. It is also very easy to navigate.”
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