The prestigious Rupert Cornwell Prize for Journalism has found its 2025 winner in Trisha Mukherjee, a New York-based freelance journalist. She clinched the fifth annual award, designed to support younger journalists at a pivotal stage in their careers, with a compelling proposal for a series of stories focused on the US-Mexican border.
A Legacy of Elegant Journalism
The £5,000 prize, supported by The Independent and administered by the Rupert Cornwell Trust, was established in memory of the distinguished foreign correspondent and writer who died in 2017. It aims to fund a journalistic project in regions Cornwell covered extensively: North America, Europe, and the former Soviet Union.
Rupert Cornwell was renowned as one of the most elegant writers of his generation. He embodied The Independent's pioneering spirit, joining as an early recruit in 1986 and contributing until his death. His career spanned reporting from Rome for the Financial Times to chronicling the USSR's decline and analysing the Trump phenomenon in the US, leaving a profound legacy.
Honouring a Topical and Compassionate Vision
Ms Mukherjee, whose work has appeared in publications like the New York Times and Business Insider, expressed her honour at receiving the award. "I am deeply inspired by Mr. Cornwell's tenacious and incisive journalism," she said. "Reporting from anywhere, he knew how to make each sentence sing. I hope to carry forth his inimitable spirit in my own reporting at the US-Mexico border and beyond."
The judging panel, which included Cornwell’s widow Susan—a former US Congressional correspondent for Reuters—praised Mukherjee's entry as "topical, detailed and well-researched." Susan Cornwell noted that the pitch revealed a talented and sensitive writer, impressed by her focus on global human rights and desire to foster a more compassionate world through storytelling.
Commendation for Other Entrants
The judges also gave special commendation to Antonia Langford for an innovative proposal examining climate change, ecological disruption, and historical legacies in Central Asia. This highlights the prize's role in recognising diverse and impactful journalistic ambitions from a new generation.
Trisha Mukherjee triumphed over an exceptionally talented field of applicants, securing the award that will enable her to bring her vital border series to life, continuing the tradition of incisive, humane reporting that Rupert Cornwell championed.
