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The Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA) has been shortlisted for the 2026 IPI-IMS Free Media Pioneer Award, joining 10 other media organizations from around the world in a competition that honors innovation in independent journalism and press freedom.
The shortlist, announced on Monday by the International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS), recognizes media outlets developing new ways to sustain independent journalism in increasingly challenging environments.
CamboJA is the only Southeast Asian organization on the list, which spans 11 countries. IPI, which launched the award in 1997 before IMS joined as a partner in 2015, described the finalists as “trailblazers” expanding the free flow of news and information in their countries and regions.
Founded in 2019 by a group of Cambodian journalists, CamboJA emerged after the 2018 general election and a wider crackdown that saw several independent news outlets close.
CamboJA says it works to defend press freedom and promote ethical, independent journalism in Cambodia through advocacy, training and media initiatives that support journalists and broader media development efforts.
In 2025, CamboJA News, the organization’s news arm, received the World Justice Project’s Anthony Lewis Prize for its investigative reporting and coverage of issues affecting the rule of law in Cambodia. CamboJA was also nominated for the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Award in 2020.
Nop Vy, CamboJA’s founder and executive director, said the shortlist would help raise the organization’s profile and strengthen public trust in its work.
“On behalf of our members and our governing Board of Directors, I am very honored that CamboJA has been shortlisted for the 2026 Free Media Pioneer Award.” he said, adding that recognition highlighted the organization’s contribution to promoting human rights, press freedom and freedom of expression.
Phon Sothyroth, a CamboJA member and former intern at CamboJA News, said she was proud to see the organization shortlisted.
Whether or not CamboJA wins, the shortlist itself is an important acknowledgment of its efforts to promote freedom of expression and access to information, she said. “I have seen firsthand how its work supports journalists and strengthens Cambodia’s media sector.”
The winner of the award will be announced in the coming weeks and honored alongside the IPI-IMS World Press Freedom Hero Award at the Gabo Festival in Colombia in July. Last year’s award went to independent media organizations in Hungary.
