The Danish Siddiqui Foundation presented the Danish Siddiqui Journalism Awards 2026 in New Delhi, recognising journalists for outstanding work in public-interest reporting across formats.
Delivering the keynote address, Justice Madan B. Lokur, former judge of the Supreme Court of India, spoke on the importance of freedom of expression in the context of speech, protest and censorship. He underscored that the ability to question and dissent remains central to a functioning democracy.
In a special address, Dr Raghuram Rajan, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, highlighted the importance of credible, evidence-based journalism. He noted that informed public discourse depends on reliable reporting, particularly in complex economic and social contexts.
Among the awardees, Aiswarya Raj and Dheeraj Mishra of The Indian Express were recognised in print reporting, while Abhinav Goel of BBC News received the award in broadcast journalism.
In photojournalism, Zeeshan Latif, a contributor to The Washington Post, was honoured. Aparna Ganesan of The Migration Story was recognised in the digital broadcast category, while Apoorva Mandhani of The Print received the award in digital print.
Jury Special Mentions were awarded to Avadhesh Akodia of Dainik Bhaskar and Sukanya Shantha of The Wire.
The winners were selected by an independent jury chaired by Om Thanvi and comprising Siddharth Varadarajan, Suhasini Haidar, Josy Joseph, Sabeena Gadihoke and Saurabh Dwivedi, following a rigorous evaluation process.
Instituted in memory of Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Danish Siddiqui, the awards received entries from across the country spanning print, digital, video and photojournalism.
The event also featured a remembrance segment on Siddiqui’s work, highlighting his contribution to conflict and humanitarian reporting.
The ceremony was attended by journalists, editors and members of the media community.
