RIO DE JANEIRO — The International Fact-Checking Network honored four news organizations from around the world for their excellence in fact-checking across four categories as part of the 2025 Global Fact‑Checking Awards. The network also recognized three journalism leaders for their contributions to the advancement of fact-checking.

The recognition is “meant to honor the very best of the work that you do,” Enock Nyariki, the IFCN’s communications manager, told a room of hundreds of fact-checkers during the award ceremony. The Global Fact‑Checking Awards are given as part of the network’s annual conference, GlobalFact. 

For the first time, the awards were decided by a panel of five judges – drawn from journalism, fact-checking, research and academia. In years past, the recipients were selected via a vote from peer fact-checkers. 

In addition to the four awards, International Fact-Checking Network Director, Angie Drobnic Holan presented three journalists with service awards for their contributions to the IFCN: 

Bill Adair, the creator of PolitiFact while at the then-St. Petersburg Times and co-founder of the IFCN; Peter Cunliffe-Jones, founder of Africa Check and one of the creators of the IFCN’s Code of Principles; and Laura Zommer, former director of Argentina’s first fact-checking organization Chequeado and founder of LatamChequea. 

“What we’ve done in 12 of these (summits) is build an extraordinary community of journalists that do the most important work that is out there,” Adair said after sharing anecdotes from the past 11 years of GlobalFact conferences. “You do the hardest work, work where people get mad at us every day, and you put up with that because you know how important this work is.”

Here are the 2025 GlobalFact Fact-Checking Awards winners:

Gold Standard Award

Agence France‑Presse received the first ever Gold Standard Award. The new category recognizes “work that demonstrates meticulous research, rigorous verification, transparency, fairness and clarity.”

AFP was recognized for its investigation uncovering a disinformation network profiting from spreading false content about confrontations between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Judges praised the organization’s “sharp debunks, months‑long investigative reporting and practical tips for readers.”

The Washington Post Fact Checker’s coverage debunking 55 claims from President Donald Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential debate was recognized as a finalist. India’s fact-checking organization DFRAC also received that recognition for its project, “Clickbait, Clones and Crypto,” which uncovered a disinformation network that creates AI-generated content of celebrities to scam consumers.

Impact Award

Aos Fatos, a Brazilian fact-checking organization, accepts the Impact Award for its live fact-checking of São Paulo’s 2024 mayoral debates. (Photo by Andressa Guerra)

Brazilian fact-checking organization, Aos Fatos, received the Impact Award for its live fact-checking of São Paulo’s 2024 mayoral debates. 

The award recognizes work that “resulted in significant real-world outcomes, including policy changes, corrections to public records, accountability or shifts in public understanding of critical issues.”

Judges commended Aos Fatos’ “clear sourcing, sharp visuals and smart collaboration, which turned verification into a public service that shaped the city’s election conversation.”

The judges also recognized two finalists in this category: Greek fact-checkers from Ellinika Hoaxes for their investigation exposing falsehoods in a government report about the 2023 Tempi train crash that killed dozens; and Syrian fact-checking organization, Verify‑Sy, for its work exposing that a man, interviewed by CNN as a prisoner of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, was actually a former intelligence officer for al-Assad. 

Creative Format Award

Tempo, an Indonesian fact-checking organization, received the Creative Format Award, which is given to innovative work that uses “advanced technology, data visualization or distinctive formats that effectively communicate findings to diverse audiences.”

Judges recognized Tempo’s creation of a game to teach the public about recognizing and avoiding phishing online. 

It was proof that “a game can educate without losing its audience,” the judges said.

Fact-checkers from Brazil’s Agência Lupa and India’s Newschecker were finalists for the award. Lupa created Eu Informo, a radio network bringing election fact-checks to news deserts in Brazil. And Newschecker created Saksham Senior, a series of media literacy training videos for older audiences.

Collaboration Award

Factchequeado, a U.S.-based Spanish-language fact-checking organization, received the Collaboration Award for work fact-checking the 2024 presidential elections. (Photo by Andressa Guerra)

Factchequeado, a Spanish-language fact-checking organization based in the U.S., received the Collaboration Award for its work fact-checking the country’s 2024 presidential elections. The organization partnered with newsrooms across the U.S. including FactCheck.org, PolitiFact, Univision and USA Today.

The judges praised Factchequeado for setting “a new benchmark for shared workflows and reach.”

Georgian fact-checking organization, Myth Detector, was recognized as a finalist for its work collaborating with AI and forensics experts to expose discrepancies and Russian ties to a viral audio during the country’s 2024 elections.

TruthAfrica, a project led by Polish fact-checking organization Pravda Association in partnership with Code for Africa was also named a finalist. The work tracked anti‑vaccine and refugee‑scapegoating narratives across seven African countries.