New journalism award for bravery named after Lyra McKee

"We felt naming the Journalist of the Year award in Lyra’s honour would be a fitting tribute to such a remarkable young woman."

One Young World, an annual summit that brings together young talent with the hopes of sparking social impact and change, have renamed their Journalist of the Year Award, calling it the Lyra McKee Award for Bravery instead. This is an initiative designed to recognise five outstanding journalists under the age of 35, from anywhere in the world, who are using their positions to have a positive impact on people in their communities and countries. It honours McKee, a Belfast journalist who was murdered in 2019 whilst observing a riot in the Creggan area of Derry; she was just 29 years old at the time. In memory of McKee's work, and in support of the journalistic community’s dedication to truth and justice, One Young World is honoured to present the Lyra McKee Award for Bravery at this year's summit. These 5 young journalists have all been selected as winners based on the influential work they have carried out in their countries and communities. The winners were selected from a shortlist by One Young World’s expert judging panel and will be presented with this award at the One Young World 2023 Summit.

Lyra McKee's sister Nichola McKee Corner said this of the award:

"As Lyra's family, we are greatly indebted to One Young World for honouring our youngest sister Lyra Mckee by presenting the inaugural LYRA MCKEE AWARD FOR BRAVERY to a One Young World Journalist of the Year at their Belfast Summit this year. As a brave Belfast-born journalist, we can think of no better way to pay homage to Lyra than to help her to continue to inspire, support and recognise the successes of other young journalists as they work towards achieving their dreams in the career that she loved, in the place that she was born."

The Managing Director of the Summit, , said this of McKee's bravery:

"Lyra was a talented and brave journalist who reported the truth without fear or favour and was a relentless advocate for the LGBTQ+ community before she was so tragically killed in 2019 on the 21^st anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

“As the One Young World Summit in Belfast marks the 25^th anniversary of the Agreement, we felt naming the Journalist of the Year award in Lyra’s honour would be a fitting tribute to such a remarkable young woman.

“Highly respected by her peers, Lyra’s writing was so full of love and hope for the future, famously penning a letter to her 14-year-old self in which she describes journalism as ‘her calling’.

“In that same letter she declared; ‘It won’t always be like this. It’s going to get better’ and signed it off by saying ‘Keep hanging on, kid. It’s worth it. I love you.’"

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