SIP awards report on Amazon mining organized crime among best of 2026

The Inter American Press Association (SIP) has revealed the recipients of its 2026 Excellence in Journalism Awards, celebrating outstanding journalistic work across the Americas and Europe. Among the distinguished honorees is a report that delves into the pervasive issue of organized crime within the Amazon's mining sector.

Journalists and media outlets from North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe were selected by a SIP jury across 12 competitive categories. The awards aim to acknowledge the significant efforts made by journalists and media organizations to consistently produce high-quality information, according to SIP Awards Commission President María Lorente.

This year's awards featured 13 categories and included 26 honorable mentions. The recognized works cover a broad spectrum of critical issues, from exposing human trafficking in the Caribbean and examining the resilience of Indigenous communities facing the climate crisis in Canada, to investigating corruption, organized crime, and forced migration. The jury highlighted the thematic breadth of the submissions.

Notably, the 2026 awards introduced a new category specifically focused on the perspective of gender equality, reflecting a growing emphasis on diverse reporting angles within the industry. The award for In-Depth Journalism, sponsored by La República (Peru), went to 'The Price of Progress: The Dark Side of Critical Minerals in the Amazon,' a collaborative work by journalists from Amazon Underworld, Colombia. Other awards recognized reporting on opinion, interviews, breaking news coverage, environmental journalism, and migration.

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These awards are also a recognition of the enormous effort that journalists and media make to continue producing quality information.