20 The Kim Wall Award 2023

Best story or series of stories on international affairs using creative and dynamic digital storytelling techniques

AWARD YEAR: 2023
AWARD NAME: The Kim Wall Award 2023
RECIPIENTS: Renata Brito and Felipe Dana
AFFILIATION: The Associated Press
HONORED WORK: “Adrift”

“Adrift” follows a single boat full of migrants on a voyage from Africa to Europe that went wrong and ended tragically in the Caribbean. The boat capsizes and many are drowned. This moving story tells the tale of the dead and the survivors. The visuals are stunning; the writing is beautiful and poignant. These migrants are as invisible in death as they were in life. But even ghosts have families. The page design is clean and disciplined, resulting in a visually striking package that emphasizes the humanity of the men at the center of the story. This was an investigation that didn’t read like one. It is emotional and powerful and deeply compelling and should go down as a classic of the form.

Links to the winning work:
Adrift
Africa-Europe migration: Senegal-Spain investigation
AP mini-doc reconstructs the journey of migrants who survived 36 days at sea

Citation for Excellence:
Isabelle Qian, Pablo Robles, Rumsey Taylor and Weiyi Cai
The New York Times
“7 Months Inside an Online Scam Labor Camp”