The Cudlipp Award, presented annually by British Journalism Review as part of the National Press Awards, has been won by the Daily Mail for its “Mail Force” PPE crisis campaign. The paper deployed its considerable editorial muscle to helping to resolve the shortage of protective equipment that blighted the early reactions of the UK to the Coronavirus pandemic. The appeal to readers for financial support resulted in almost £12million being raised.

Runner-up was the London Evening Standard for David Cohen’s investigation into the permanent exclusion of disruptive pupils from schools, sparking a vigorous campaign challenging the Department of Education’s methods of dealing with disruptive young people.

Judges of the award, named after the influential late editorial director and chairman of Mirror Group, also shortlisted the Daily Express’s harrowing War Child campaign, exposing the desperate plight of Afghan children in Iraq; “Give Me Five”, a campaign in which the Daily Mirror conducted a penetrating examination of child poverty in Britain; the Mirror’s Google Watch scams investigation, revealing how fake investment firms were being promoted on the technology giant’s websites; and “All Our Failed Children” a one-off, seven-page mental health report by The Sunday Post’s Laura Smith on the mental health issues of young people.
<

Cudlipp Award: Past Winners