The winners of the annual "Nikola Mladenov" award given by the Macedonian Media Institute are the Research and Reporting Laboratory (IRL) with the story "Dirty Blood", the journalist Kristina Atovska with her report on the war in Ukraine and the photojournalist Arbnora Memeti with the photo "Rainfall from carcinogenic substances" in Tetovo".

The IRL team, which worked on the investigative story "Dirty Blood", noted that they faced great challenges.

- This was one of the most difficult periods in our lives and it did not end when we published the episode, on the contrary, that period is still going on for us, because we are daily targets of attacks from orchestrated chases and attempts to discredit us. That's why such a big recognition means a lot to us, because this episode was extremely difficult to prove, it was difficult to do, and it simply showed us that the citizens are ready to fight with us, especially those citizens in the institutions who recognized us as a partner. I want to say that an even more difficult battle awaits us in the future and we are very glad to have the support, noted Denica Chadikovska, part of the IRL team.

Kristina Atovska, who received the award for the most innovative media product, with a focus on the war in Ukraine expressed the hope that her persistence will one day be a motivation for other generations.

- Back in my student days, when I had those trainings for military journalism, my colleagues told me that you are wasting your time and money, that sector does not exist in our country. When the war started and I said I would go to Ukraine, they told me it's not possible, don't dream, sit here, it won't happen. When I came back from Ukraine, my friends told me that all your colleagues from the war come back in a situation for the rest of their lives, you came back with debts, you see it's not worth it. But it's worth it, it's worth it from another aspect, tomorrow after five, ten, seventy years, a new child will come with a desire, an idea to do something and will face the same society that will tell him it doesn't exist, he can't, and that one child he will have an example and he will see that nothing is impossible. Everything you want is possible, if you want something, you will find a way, if you don't want it, you will find an excuse. I will be very happy if I inspire at least one child tomorrow, said Atovska.

Among other things, the photojournalist Memeti indicated that more thought should be given to education and greater safety of media workers reporting from dangerous areas.

- This photo was taken last year when Tetovo was hit by a new environmental disaster. There was a 14-hour rainfall of carcinogenic substances from a factory that caught fire at the entrance to Tetovo. Apart from the firefighters who were most exposed there, we were also the media workers. I am saying this because it is high time we start thinking more about education for reporting from such fields, Memeti said.

16 journalists were entered in the best investigative story category, 18 topics were entered for the most innovative journalistic product, and 27 photos were entered for the best reporter photo.
The awarding committee consisted of Verica Jordanova, president of the MIM Board of Directors, Arta Tahiri, editor at Alsat M television, Prof. Dr. Marina Tuneva, photojournalist Robert Atanasovski and Biljana Petkovska, director of MIM.

The Commission's assessment is that last year, journalists worked dedicatedly and thoroughly and produced quality research that reveals and analyzes topics and issues of high public interest, encouraging institutional resolution in cases where irregularities and abuses have been found.