Madrid, Feb 27 (EFE).- A podcast confronting death, an investigation into Portugal’s wildfire arsonists, a cross-border probe into migrant drownings in the Rio Grande and a stark image of Spain’s deadly dana storm are among the winners of this year’s International King of Spain Journalism Awards.
Honduran magazine Contracultura and Brazilian fact-checking outlet Aos Fatos were also honored.
The awards, organized by EFE and Spain’s development agency Aecid, received 230 entries from around 20 countries. Each category carries a 10,000-euro prize.
In Narrative Journalism, the jury selected Cadena SER’s podcast “Asistolia, la muerte desde dentro” (“Asystole, Death from Within”), led by Aimar Bretos and Víctor Olazábal.
The series tackles death directly, combining reporting and sound design to explore a subject often avoided. Judges praised its rigor and emotional depth.
Portugal’s digital magazine Divergente won the Environmental category for “Pais de Incendiários” (“Country of Arsonists”), a podcast examining the roots of the country’s recurrent wildfires.
Reporters Sofia da Palma Rodrigues and Manuel Bivar traveled nationwide to analyze structural causes, from climate pressures to social and mental health factors. The jury highlighted its investigative depth and relevance.
Mexico’s El Universal took the International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action award for documenting the surge in migrant drownings in the Rio Grande.
Reporter Miriam Ramírez Arévalo and her team, working with Lighthouse Reports and The Washington Post, spent months on both sides of the US-Mexico border.
They reviewed hundreds of documents and build databases to produce “Río Bravo: el caudal de los mil migrantes muertos” (“Rio Grande: The Flow of a Thousand Dead Migrants”). Judges commended its fieldwork, technical execution and powerful visuals.
In Culture, Honduran magazine Contracultura, a project of digital outlet Contracorriente, was recognized for launching a print edition at a time dominated by artificial intelligence and digital media.
Led by Persy Cabrera Pinto, the black-and-white publication blends photography, interviews, chronicles, poetry and fiction, offering a cultural platform for Central America. The jury praised its editorial risk and diversity of voices.
The Best Photography award went to Óscar Corral of El País for an image taken in Valencia’s Huerta Sur after the October 29, 2024 dana storm, which killed 230 people and caused devastating floods.
The photograph shows six firefighters stabilizing a damaged utility pole in the town of Alfafar. Judges said the image captures resilience and distills the scale of the tragedy in a single frame.
Brazil’s Aos Fatos won the Ibero-American Media category for its fight against digital misinformation.
Founded a decade ago, the outlet combines data journalism, artificial intelligence and civic technology to verify public statements and debunk viral hoaxes.
Between 2015 and 2025, it conducted 19,000 fact-checks, about 15,000 on statements by 167 public figures and 4,000 on online falsehoods, and succeeded in removing misleading TikTok posts and sexualized content involving minors from Meta platforms.
The jury described it as a global benchmark operating under political pressure.
Established in 1983, the awards recognize excellence in Spanish and Portuguese language journalism across the Ibero-American community and countries with close ties to Spain.
The 2025/2026 jury was chaired by Inés López del Pino, representing Aecid director Antón Leis, with EFE president Miguel Ángel Oliver as vice-chair. The ceremony, presided over by King Felipe VI, will take place on a date to be announced. EFE
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