The One Young World Journalist of the Year Award was created in 2020 to recognise ground-breaking journalists under the age of 35 from around the world. Launched again this year, it continues to celebrate courageous young leaders who have shown considerable commitment to inspiring and empowering others through their work, and changing the way stories are reported in often turbulent journalistic landscapes.
The expert judging panel has been invited by One Young World to choose three winners who have created meaningful global impact through exceptionally crafted reporting and who are passionate about the rights to freedom of thought, expression and speech.
The judges for the 2025 award are:
Ilia Calderón
Ilia Calderón is the lead anchor of Univision Network’s flagship weekday evening newscast, “Noticiero Univision.” Calderon previously anchored “Aquí y Ahora,” Univision’s primetime newsmagazine, and in July 2023 was host of the true crime show “Señales de Crimen” on the streaming platform ViX.
Calderon is a trailblazer. She is the first Afro-Latina to anchor an evening newscast for a major broadcast network in the United States. In September 2023, she co-moderated the first Spanish-language broadcast of a republican presidential primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, becoming the first Afro-Latina to do so. Calderon also made history as the first Afro-Latina to co-moderate a Democratic presidential primary debate in 2020. Additionally, in her native Colombia, she became the first Afro-Colombian to host "Noticiero CMI,” a national news program.
Prior to joining “Noticiero Univision” in 2017, Calderon was the co-anchor of Univision’s “Noticiero Univision Edición Nocturna”, previously co-anchored “Primer Impacto” and served as co-anchor of the magazine news show’s weekend edition “Primer Impacto Fin de Semana,” all on Univision.
Before coming to “Noticias Univision”, Calderon co-anchored Telemundo’s weekend national newscast as well as Telemundo Internacional. Throughout her career, she has interviewed numerous prominent politicians and celebrities, among them former President Joe Biden, former First Lady Jill Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe, and singer/songwriter Shakira.
Calderon also drew headlines when she pressed Ku Klux Klan leader Christopher Barker on his controversial positions while she faced racial slurs and threats. After that interview she told Forbes: “As a journalist working for Univision, we have bigger responsibilities now in this country when racism and discrimination are coming to the surface. My role as a black Hispanic immigrant will be to scrutinize who’s in power and to be more vigilant of civil and human rights for all our viewers.”
Born in El Chocó, Colombia, Calderon began her career in 1994 anchoring a local newscast in the country’s second largest city, Medellín. Three years later she became the anchor of a highly respected nightly national newscast and a travel program, roles she held until she moved to the United States in 2001.
As a respected journalist, Calderon has received several recognitions during her professional career, including two Emmy® Awards. In 2019, she was named one of Carnegie Corporation’s Great Immigrants Great Americans. In 2002, she was named one of the 100 most important Hispanic journalists by the Hispanic Media 100 organization. She was also nominated for a Peabody Award for the border crisis coverage on Aquí y Ahora.
Calderon also serves as President and Founder of the Jang-Calderon Family Foundation, which has a mission to help underprivileged youth and guide them to achieve successful professional careers. She is also a One Young World Counsellor and has participated and moderated several panels during the past annual Summits. In addition, she has also been invited to speak at university and corporate events to discuss topics such as social justice and racism.
In 2020 Calderon published her first book, “My Time to Speak: Reclaiming Ancestry and Confronting Race,” an inspiring, timely, and conversation-starting memoir.
Calderon earned a degree in Social Work from Pontifical Bolivarian University. She currently resides in Miami, Florida, with her husband and daughter.
Antonio Zappulla
Antonio Zappulla is CEO at the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the corporate philanthropic arm of Thomson Reuters and a leading international development actor fostering free, fair, and informed societies through media and legal initiatives and data intelligence.
In 2022, Antonio was knighted as an Officer of the Italian Republic for "merit acquired in the fields of public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities” under the OMRI order, the highest-ranking honour of the Italian Republic. In 2018, he ranked first in the OUTstanding list of third sector LGBT executives published by the Financial Times. In 2017, he was named a European Young Leader by Friends of Europe.
Antonio sits on the Boards of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford and the International News Safety Institute.
Prior to his present role, Antonio was Executive Producer at Bloomberg Television in charge of news, factual programming for Europe, Middle East and Africa, developing several Award-winning TV series distributed globally.
Antonio holds a Degree in Journalism, a Master’s Degree in Middle East studies, and has continued his executive education at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Orla Guerin
Dublin-born journalist Orla Guerin is the BBC’s Senior International Correspondent, based in Istanbul. She is a multi-award-winning veteran foreign correspondent with BBC News, who has held a succession of high-profile postings. In recent times Orla has played a prominent role in the BBC’s coverage of the war in Ukraine.
She is an Honorary Professor of International Journalism at the National University of Ireland in Galway (NUIG).
Since taking up the International Correspondent role in 2019 she has reported from across the Middle East, South America, South Asia, and the Caucasus, including assignments in Venezuela, Colombia, El Salvador, Brazil, India, Algeria, Israel, Azerbaijan, and Yemen. She has reported from frontlines, and conducted high profile interviews with international leaders including President Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela, and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan.
Her work has been recognised internationally with awards in the UK, USA, France, Italy and her native Ireland. She has been awarded honorary degrees from 8 Universities in both the UK and Ireland.
Since joining the BBC in 1995 she has been based in Cairo, Islamabad, Johannesburg, Jerusalem, and Rome, as well as spending periods on attachment in Los Angeles and Moscow.
During her first posting in the Middle East (2000–2005) she reported on the second Palestinian Intifada, the death of Yasser Arafat, and the Israeli pull-out from the Gaza settlements.
While working as Africa Correspondent (2006-2008) Orla reported from conflict zones including Darfur, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zimbabwe - which she entered undercover.
During her time in Pakistan she reported from around the country stories including the devastating nationwide floods of 2010, the first democratic transition of power in May 2013, suicide bombings, sectarian violence, the Taliban shooting of Malala Yousufzai, and the battle for education for girls.
In the 1990's, while working for Irish state TV (RTE), Orla reported extensively on the collapse of the former Soviet Union, including lengthy assignments in Moscow, and trips around the former USSR. She covered the coup attempt against former President Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991, and the siege of the Russian parliament.
She also covered the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, including assignments in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo, while it was under siege. She reported extensively on the Kosovo conflict and the ensuing refugee crisis in Macedonia.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Film Studies from University College Dublin (1999), and a Certificate in Journalism from the College of Commerce ( 1985).