Write to End Violence Against Women Awards 2026: Shortlist released

Leading women’s rights organisation the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) has today published the shortlist for its 2026 Write to End Violence Against Women Awards, which recognise excellence in reporting on violence against women and girls (VAWG).

In acknowledgement of how the media shapes public attitudes, the annual awards celebrate journalism that takes a stand against sensationalism, victim-blaming, myths and stereotypes, and champions responsible reporting.

The shortlist

The awards are open to public nominations for any piece published between 1^st October 2025 and 30^th September 2026.

This year’s outstanding shortlist includes writers from the Guardian, BBC News, the Independent, Glamour UK, Metro, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the Observer and the Times.

Best News

Pink Ladies rally accused of exploiting women’s safety to push far-right rhetoric

Derek Healey, Sunday Post, 6^th September 2026

Police and prosecution errors left proven sex offender free to murder two women in London

Vikram Dodd, The Guardian, 7^th August 2026

‘Dangerously outdated’: high court overturns ruling implying domestic violence would not affect children

Hannah Al-Othman, The Guardian, 28^th October 2025

Online porn showing choking to be made illegal, government says

Shiona McCallum, BBC News, 3^rd November 2025

‘I found explicit deepfakes of me online – then I found out my male friend did it’

Isabel Fraser and Sam Corbishley, Metro, 24^th September 2026

Best Feature

We can’t ignore how Muslim women were impacted by the Grok scandal

Alia Waheed, Glamour UK, 23^rd January 2026

It’s not just about nudity warns actress – the complex reality of images and online abuse

Megha Mohan and Fay Nurse, BBC News, 22^nd June 2026

Female officers condemn failures on police abuse as ‘insult to Sarah Everard’s name’

Eve Livingston, The Observer, 1^st March 2026

The rise of deepfake pornography in schools: ‘One girl was so horrified she vomited’

Sally Weale, The Guardian, 2^nd December 2025

‘It was extremely pornographic’: Cara Hunter on the deepfake video that nearly ended her political career

Anna Moore, The Guardian, 1^st December 2025

Best Investigation

Union Leader Accused of Harassment and Heading Up ‘Sexist Boys Club’

Simon Childs, Novara Media, 15^th October 2025

These women were abused by far right groups who claimed to want to protect them. But they fought back

Billy Briggs, The Ferret, 26^th April 2026

Fifty women tell BBC they were pressured into having sex with strangers

Catrin Nye, Adam Eley and Divya Talwar, BBC News, 24^th July 2026

Exposing a global ‘rape academy’

Saskya Vandoorne, Kara Fox, Niamh Kennedy, Eleanor Stubbs and Marco Chacon, CNN, 26^th March 2026

Online abuse by a partner now a factor in 40% of domestic homicides, analysis reveals

Eve Livingston and Petra Matijevic, The Observer, 25^th August 2026

Failed by the police, Grok deepfake victims are seeking justice themselves

Lydia Morrish, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, 29^th September 2026

Best Opinion and Comment

When Black women go missing, why does the UK look away?

Tabby Kibugi, The Independent, 12^th April 2026

It took years to convict the man who raped me. We need change

Morwenna Loughman, The Times, 11^th March 2026

Feminists began raising the alarm about the manosphere decades ago – and we were ignored

Laurie Penny, The Guardian, 13^th April 2026

‘Choking’ in porn has become the new normal. Here’s why a new UK law banning it is so vital

Clare McGlynn, The Guardian, 6^th November 2025

The manosphere isn’t just an online issue. It’s fuelling domestic abuse

Emma Pickering and Meg Warren-Lister, the Big Issue, 21^st March 2026

Best Blog and Self-Published

Beyond the Law: Using Legal Literacy to Prevent Gender-Based Violence/Violence Against Women and Girls

Catherine Cox, Legal Women, 6^th January 2026

Your ‘final act of love’ should be filing a police report

Phoebe Lily, Phoebe Lily Substack, 22^nd April 2026

The manosphere hates lesbians and must be stopped

Calypso Lloyd-Davies, Diva Magazine, December 2025-January 2026

The Invisible Age

Donna Ohdedar, Donna Ohdedar Substack, 12^th May 2026

There’s a Reason Women Aren’t Swooning Over AI Like Men Are

Katie Jagielnicka, The Noosphere Substack, 5^th December 2025

The shortlist will now be judged by our panel of expert judges:

• Natasha Devon: writer, broadcaster and activist
• Melissa Sigodo: journalist and founder of The Community Reporter
• Lucy Morgan: multi-award-winning journalist and editor
• Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana: CEO of IMPRESS, the Independent Monitor for the Press
• Rosemary Douce: Head of Standards at IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation

Deniz Uğur, Deputy Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), said:

“Journalists and the media play a powerful role in raising awareness of and shaping public attitudes to violence against women.

Quality reporting can help shift attitudes away from myths and victim-blaming which ultimately helps prevent abuse and supports survivors’ access to justice. It helps ensure institutions and perpetrators are held accountable and that the public understands the dynamics and root causes of abuse. 

Journalists can be an integral part of the movement to end violence against women and girls. We’re delighted to celebrate those whose work sets the standard for others to aspire to.”

Nick McGowan-Lowe, National Organiser for the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), said:

“The role journalism plays in highlighting and exposing violence against women has never been more timely than in recent weeks, and the NUJ is proud to continue to play a role in these important awards.

Throughout the UK and Ireland journalists are shining a light on the darkest corners of human behaviour, exposing both predators and systematic problems in society, all while upholding ethical standards. This valuable journalism deserves to be recognised, and the shortlisted pieces are a credit to both the journalists and the publications and broadcasters who commissioned and published them.”

ENDS