‘Testimony’ takes top prize at 2025 JMAs
Mother-and-baby home documentary Testimony, by Underground Films and Rocliffe, has won the top award at the Justice Media Awards 2025.
Almost 140 journalists gathered at the Law Society of Ireland today (25 June) for the awards ceremony.
Aoife Kelleher, Rachel Lysaght, and Farah Abushwesha of Underground Films and Rocliffe were the overall winners for their powerful documentary Testimony.
‘Difficult to watch’
Jointly winning the Human Rights/Social Justice Reporting (broadcast) category, this entry was chosen as the overall winner from 495 entries and 140 shortlisted entries.
The documentary follows survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes in their fight for justice.
“It was difficult to watch and showed that human-rights abuses can happen in Ireland too – and on an industrial scale,” the judges said, suggesting that the documentary should have a place on school curriculums.
For the first time, the awards accepted entries in a Print-Online Journalism (feature) category. Mark Tighe and Marie Crowe of the Sunday Independent won the inaugural award in this category for their reporting on Field of Broken Dreams, which highlighted the mistreatment of women footballers.
Nikita Hand’s civil rape case, the Stardust inquest, domestic-violence cases, and courts and law reform issues were among the key topics covered across 16 award categories.
Standard ‘incredibly high’
Noting that entries for this year’s awards increased by 20%, President of the Law Society Eamon Harrington said that the standard of legal journalism remained “incredibly high”.
“As journalists across the world continue to face threats, it is more important than ever to recognise and support responsible journalism, and those who produce it, that educates, informs, and keeps our State bodies accountable,” he added.
“Testimony tells a harrowing and uncomfortable story about human-rights abuses in Ireland, but one that needs to be told.
“The documentary celebrates resilience, calls for justice, accountability, and the right for survivors to pursue legal action, ensuring such inconceivable acts are never repeated. It is educational, confronting and is exceptional legal storytelling,” he concluded.
The full list of winners is available on the Law Society website.