19 Nov Twelve Journalists Recognized As 2025 SEAL Environmental Journalism Award Winners
November 19, 2025 — As this year unfolds amid escalating climate emergencies—from the toxic cobalt mining crucial for renewable energy infrastructure to the carbon load of systemic food waste—environmental journalism remains one of humanity’s most essential public services.
The 2025 SEAL Environmental Journalism Awards celebrate twelve exceptional journalists whose work has illuminated both the planetary scale and human immediacy of the environmental crisis, connecting global systems to local lives with precision, courage, and compassion.
Amid accelerating planetary feedback loops—the Amazon tipping toward savannah, Arctic methane plumes intensifying, and urban heat deaths reaching historic highs—these journalists have shaped the public understanding of climate not as an abstract threat, but as the defining condition of our shared future.
The most striking work recognized this year includes Amudalat Ajasa’s reporting on the current EPA’s gagging of climate scientists and weakening of established protections on known toxins; Sanket Jain’s work illuminates the range of invisible effects of pollution on the individual, from hearing loss to neurotoxicity and educational impairment, that strike whole populations; and Jael Holzman’s investigative coverage of tensions both local and transnational shaping the technological landscape of data centers, solar parks, and wind farms.
“Environmental journalists continue to stand at the front lines of truth,” said Safa Bee, Impact Lead. “Their work demands intellectual rigor and moral courage in equal measure. Each honoree brings accountability to power, empathy to data, and urgency to the conversation on environmental policy.”
Winners were selected based on a panel review of their body of work, data-driven assessment of impact and reach, and special consideration for reporting that brings fresh social relevance and creative insight to environmental issues. The SEAL Awards continue to expand their search for honorees across all media formats and geographies, recognizing the global scale of the climate challenge and the diverse voices required to confront it.
2025 SEAL ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM AWARD WINNERS:
– Amudalat Ajasa • Washington Post, Guardian, Hofstra Chronicle
– Sheree Bega • Mail & Guardian
– Aaron Cantú • Capital & Main
– Jael Holzman • Heatmap
– Sanket Jain • Co-founder of Insight Walk; Earth Journalism, Yale Climate Connections
– María Mónica Monsalve S. • El País
– Brendan Montague • The Ecologist; founder of DeSmog UK
– Monica Piccinini • The Ecologist, The Canary
– Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco • Grist, Chicago Public Media
– Hayley Smith • L.A. Times
– Malavika Vyawahare • Mongabay
– Eva Xiao • Financial Times
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM AWARD FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Question: How Do I Apply For A SEAL Environmental Journalism Award?
Answer: Given our ambition to recognize the top twelve journalists globally, the SEAL Environmental Journalism Award is conducted without an application or submission process. Instead, the SEAL panel considers ALL journalists covering environmental topics – this is possible through our year-round content curation program (chaired by Safa Bee) where we seek to amplify on exemplary work on our @SEALAwards Twitter feed. However, we do accept public nominations through this form.
Question: How Do I Nominate My Favorite Journalist For A SEAL Environmental Journalism Award?
Answer: We do accept nominations through this form.
Question: I Am Not A Traditional Journalist – Instead I Produce a Podcast and/or Video Series – Am I Eligible For A SEAL Award?
Answer: Potentially. We understand the media environment is constantly changing. SEAL would also like to celebrate those elevating public awareness on environmental issues, regardless of medium. As such, we will increasingly consider non-written forms of environmental coverage in our award process.
Question: I Care Passionately About The Environment. How Can I Help Support These Environmental Journalists?
Answer: The best way to support environmental journalists is to support their organization, either through a subscription or a donation. Secondarily, supporting their works on social media – whether shares on Facebook or retweets on Twitter – can help amplify their message and show their editors/organizations this content is valued.
ABOUT SEAL AWARDS
SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership) Awards is an environmental advocacy organization that honors leadership through our corporate sustainability awards & environmental journalism awards while funding research and pursuing our own environmental impact campaigns.
The SEAL Awards core pillars are:
- Business Sustainability Awards – honors the most sustainable companies in the world, like Adidas, AMD, Cisco, and Tide
- Environmental Journalism Awards – representative past winners include journalists from Guardian, New York Times, and Grist
- Impact Campaigns – representative campaigns include “#UpTheCup” and “Eco Rewards”
- Environmental Research Grants – provided funding for researchers at leading institutions like Duke, Marine Conservation Institute, MIT, and UCLA. We funded a researcher in Ethiopia for 2022.
Corrections:
A previous version of the header graphic on this web page contained a photograph incorrectly attributed to Monica Piccinini.
A previous version of the header graphic on this web page misspelled Sanket Jain’s first name.
Both errors have been corrected.