By Mahmoud Elsobky and Wael Elsayegh for The New Arab, with support from Anas Ambri (research and fact check) and Andrea Glioti (editor)

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• The Maltese Falcon Poachers: How European hunters brought death and destruction to Egypt's migratory birds

Judges’ comments:

"This astonishing 15-month investigative project exposes a transnational environmental crime involving the illegal hunting and smuggling of endangered migratory birds in Egypt. Over a 15-month period, the team utilized undercover interviews, field evidence and leaked information to reveal how European hunters undermine EU-funded conservation efforts by poaching species like the Egyptian Vultures, Osprey, Falcons and other migratory birds. Despite significant data scarcity and security challenges, the reporting generated substantial international impact, including policy pressure within the EU Parliament and new conservation measures from the Egyptian government. By focusing on the affected ecosystems and including perspectives from groups in Egypt and Malta, the investigation highlights critical gaps in international enforcement and the urgent need for cross-border cooperation to protect global biodiversity and halt trophy hunting in all countries."

By Rico Moore for The Margin, with support from Bryce Cracknell (editor) and Chona Kasinger (photography)

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• A River of Deception

Judges’ comments:

“This is an exceptional year-long investigation into how Seattle City Light systematically violated the treaty rights of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe for over a century. By combining extensive archival research and open-records requests with deeply personal interviews from Tribal leaders, scientists and legal experts, the reporting successfully overturned a long-standing false narrative that natural barriers, rather than dams, prevented fish migration. The investigation is honored not only for its clarity in explaining complex legal and historical issues but also for its significant real-world impact — directly influencing dam license negotiations and contributing to the decision to grant only a temporary one-year operating license rather than a long-term renewal. This work stands as a vital piece of accountability journalism that centers the rights and ancestral lands of the Upper Skagit Tribe while forcing a correction of the historical record.”

By Alessandra Bergamin for In These Times, with illustrations by Matt Rota

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• The Death Squads Hunting Environmental Defenders

Judges’ comments:

"This work is a harrowing and meticulous investigation into the global pattern of state-sponsored violence against environmental activists. The reporting team demonstrated extraordinary journalistic rigor by manually building a first-of-its-kind database of nearly 600 killings over a decade, cross-referencing public records with government data to reveal that half of these deaths involved state actors. By weaving the individual story of Brandon Lee — a U.S. citizen paralyzed in an assassination attempt in the Philippines — into a broader investigative framework, the submission successfully exposed a critical accountability gap by linking these attacks to U.S. security assistance and military training in the Philippines. This work, which involved months of high-risk fieldwork in militarized indigenous communities, has achieved significant recognition for its vital role in centering Indigenous land defenders and highlighting the systemic risks faced by activists worldwide."

By Nicholas Kusnetz and Katie Surma for Inside Climate News, with graphics by Paul Horn

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• How to Buy a Piece of a Lawsuit and Impoverish a Country

• In Honduras, Libertarians and Legal Claims Threaten to Bankrupt a Nation

• Should Companies Get Paid When Governments Phase Out Fossil Fuels? They Already Are

• How Wealthy Corporations Use Investment Agreements to Extract Millions From Developing Countries

• Nations Are Exiting a Secretive System That Protects Corporations. One Country’s Story Shows How Hard That Can Be

Judges’ comments:

"This reporting is a dogged multi-country investigation into the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system, an obscure legal framework that allows foreign corporations to seek massive taxpayer-funded payouts from governments enacting environmental or public health regulations. By synthesizing thousands of pages of court records, corporate filings and arbitration documents, the reporters exposed how this system effectively hamstrings efforts to combat global warming and disproportionately harms developing nations. The series translated complex legal concepts into a lucid, accessible narrative that achieved significant real-world impact, reaching high-level policymakers and preceding a Biden administration action to limit ISDS claims. Ultimately, the reporting provides a vital service by bringing transparency to a secretive ‘wealth extraction mechanism’ that prioritizes corporate profits over national sovereignty and environmental protection."

By Olga Loginova for Type Investigations, with support from Susie Armitage  (story editor and co-producer), Sasha Belenky (investigative editor),  Zak Cassel  (fact check), Noah Collins (a citizen of Cherokee and White Mountain Apache Tribes, cultural sensitivity reader), Colleen Cox (audio editor and visuals), Dontonio Demarco (voice actor), Mobéy Lola Irizarry (music composition and performance), Matt Noble (trailer mixer), Matthew Rubenstein (associate producer), Iqra Salah  (fact check), Sandy Smallens  (executive producer and showrunner), Tom Sullivan (sound design, mix engineering and music composition), Paul Vitolins (sound design, mix engineering and music composition), Max Wasserman (series producer) and Matt Zivkovic (cover art)

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• Leaving the Island, Episode 1: Ancestral Home

Judges’ comments:

"This investigative narrative podcast documents the first federal attempt to resettle an entire community — the Indigenous residents of Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana — due to climate change. Reported over four years by Olga Loginova, the series provides a rigorous and empathetic account of the resettlement project, which was initially hailed as a success, but is revealed through the investigation to be a ‘cautionary tale’ marked by conflict and governmental mistakes. By centering the voices of both the Jean Charles Choctaw Nation and the United Houma Nation, the reporting addresses critical issues of environmental justice, racial reckoning and government accountability, while contextualizing the community's displacement within a broader history of injustice. Ultimately, the series serves as a vital analysis for future community relocations, highlighting the deep cultural and historical complexities faced by marginalized populations on the front lines of climate migration."

By Quinn Glabicki for Pittsburgh's Public Source

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• There is something wrong under New Freeport

• New Freeport residents in court demanding clean water from EQT

Judges’ comments:

“This work is recognized for its accountability-driven investigation into a 2022 fracking mishap in New Freeport, Pennsylvania. The reporter utilized dogged public records requests to unearth thousands of documents and critical video evidence that proved a ‘direct correlation’ between the fracking company EQT Corp.’s operations and the eruption of gas and fluid from the ground — evidence the company had previously denied. The reporting, which combined high-risk data analysis with intimate photojournalism and community-based storytelling, led to significant real-world impact, including a federal class-action lawsuit and the prevention of forced non-disclosure agreements for residents in need of clean water. By distributing the work through a unique partnership with ten other publications and the Pulitzer Center, the investigation reached both the impacted rural communities and the broader national audience.”