The 2014 Martha Gellhorn Prize was won by Iona Craig. A freelance journalist reporting from Yemen, Iona Craig received the prize for her courageous, insightful and humane reporting from Yemen — journalism exemplifying that of Martha Gellhorn herself. Often alone, and risking her life, Iona has for almost four years given voice to the ordinary people of Yemen, especially the families of the victims of America's 'war on terror'. Her eyewitness investigation of a drone attack on a travelling wedding party, in which 12 people were killed, is truly a 'view from the ground' and rare evidence of the 'unpalatable truth' that Barack Obama's worldwide 'war by drone' is killing the innocent. Her achievement is set against a record number of entries for the Prize, including remarkable journalism from across the English-speaking world.
In 2013 the prize was won by Chris Woods, Alice Ross and Jack Serle of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in London for their research into Barack Obama’s drone wars and their consequences for civilians. In 2012 it went to the US journalist and policy analyst Gareth Porter. In addition to the main 2011 prize, won by Julian Assange for WikiLeaks, special awards were made to Jonathan Cook, based in Nazareth, for his work on the Middle East, to Charles Clover of The Financial Times and to Umar Cheema of The News International website in Pakistan for his fearless exposure of government corruption.
Previous winners include: