INMA has announced the 30 rising stars selected for its sixth annual 30 Under 30 Awards, celebrating young professionals who are shaping the future of news. Drawn from a record 238 applications worldwide, this year’s honorees reflect the creativity, ambition, and leadership transforming the news industry. Indian names include from Amar Ujala, the Hindu Group and the Brut India.
The 30 Under 30 Awards are part of INMA’s Young Professionals Initiative, designed to spotlight emerging talent and provide a platform for the next generation of leaders. The program recognizes excellence across six categories: advertising, data, management, newsroom leadership, reader revenue, and product.
Winners were chosen by the association’s Young Professionals Committee, which reviewed applications from around the globe before voting on five award recipients in each category. The result is a diverse list of innovators and changemakers whose work is reimagining what news media can be.
“We as the YPC committee were amazed by the number of high-profile applications we received this year,” said Anna-Katharina Kölbl, committee chair and head of business development/news media at Funke Medien. “This year we had an especially high number of great candidates, and it was not easy to select the winners for each category. This is a great sign for our industry to have these many high potentials that work this hard and show that potential all around the globe.”
To qualify, nominees had to be under the age of 30, employed by a news media company, and demonstrate both news industry expertise and a forward-looking vision. Judges looked for candidates with a proven track record of accomplishments, the ability to influence the broader media landscape, and the soft skills that distinguish exceptional leaders.
“The 30 Under 30 honorees reflect the best of where our industry is headed,” said Earl J Wilkinson, executive director and CEO of INMA. “They bring fresh ideas, global perspectives, and a passion for impact. At a moment of great transformation, these young leaders give us confidence in a vibrant and sustainable future for news media.”
Beyond international recognition, each honoree receives: A one-year INMA membership; complimentary access to two INMA master classes; and a free ticket to the upcoming Media Innovation Week conference in Dublin. These benefits are designed to deepen their industry knowledge, expand their networks, and accelerate their career growth.
Winners in each of the six categories from 16 countries
Advertising
Salman Ahmed, senior executive, marketing, The Daily Star, Bangladesh
Kiley Copps, senior brand marketing coordinator, Boston Globe Media, United States
Ricci Ferigo, digital designer, News Corp Australia, Australia
Yasir Arafat Hridoy, executive – advertisement sales, Prothom Alo, Bangladesh
Kivleen Sahni, brand content producer, Brut India, India
Data
Ian Chau, assistant manager, Content Growth, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong SAR
Zahra Khan, audience development specialist, DC Thomson, United Kingdom
Kunal Mahajan, senior lead – AI, Amar Ujala, India
Kazumasa Omura, researcher, Nikkei Inc., Japan
Andrii Tiazhkyi, data analyst, Schibsted Media, Norway
Management
Lisa Marie Løvoll, senior strategy manager – brand lead, Schibsted, Norway
Nicola Lüssi, head SEO, Tamedia, Switzerland
Andiswa Ngenyane, multimedia journalist, Entertainment, Media 24, South Africa
Riajul Alam Rabby, senior manager and in-charge, Digital, Banglavision (Shamol Bangla Media Ltd.), Bangladesh
Paweł Tabędzki, head of digital publishers, Eurozet Group, and publishing growth team leader, Agora, Poland
Newsroom Leadership
Clara Preve Durrieu, journalist, Project Brazen, Argentina
Julia Munslow, senior editor, Social, Wall Street Journal, United Kingdom
Caleb Okereke, executive editor, Minority Africa, United States
Nadya Pankiw, multimedia producer, Winnipeg Free Press, Canada
Guilherme Pimenta, reporter, Editora Globo (Valor Econômico), Brazil
Product
Varun Bonthu, growth product manager, The Hindu Group, India
Jessi-Maree Cox, junior SEO specialist, Nine.com.au, Australia
Akira Kawabata, research engineer, The Asahi Shimbun Company, Japan
Nina Romashchenko, head of SEO, Legit, Ukraine
Elaeshah Shallow-Campbell, product manager, Telegraph Media Group, United Kingdom
Reader Revenue
Daniel Barratt, senior manager subscriptions growth, News Corp Australia, Australia
Matthew Fusco, marketing automation manager, The Washington Post, United States
Paul Junk, product lead customer processes, Ippen Digital, Germany
Emma McDonald, manager, consumer revenue, Condé Nast, United States
Mizuo Nagayama, software engineer, Nikkei Inc., Japan
INMA’s Young Professionals Initiative was set up to look at how to engage under-30 rising stars to help them elevate the news media, guide the INMA community, and bring new life and energy to an industry undergoing transformation. The Young Professionals Initiative is spearheaded by the Young Professionals Committee with seven members from around the world.
