Maeve Cullinan named Newcomer of the Year at the ABSW Awards 2025
At the ABSW Awards on 9 July, Maeve Cullinan received the Newcomer of the Year Award for her strong and engaging journalism. By Rory Harris.
Picture: Maeve Cullinan, Global Health Security reporter at the Telegraph, is ABSW Newcomer of the Year 202. Credits: Mark Lewis Photography
In her role as global health security reporter at The Telegraph, Maeve Cullinan has written stories on a vast array of issues. The judges for the ABSW awards commended her “strong, impartial and engaging journalism, including thorough reporting from the field”.
Maeve trained as a journalist and later moved towards covering science, which she now writes about regularly in her role at the Telegraph. “I don't have a science background at all, so getting to grips with the scientific stuff was quite difficult to start with,” said Maeve.
“The fact that I get to spend my time interviewing scientists and experts constantly just blows my mind and makes me really interested in the world. I think it's really easy to be curious when you are working with such intelligent and interesting people.”
Alongside Maeve, other finalists for this year’s Newcomer of the Year were Sophie Berdugo and Frances Jones. Both of whom were praised for the quality of their work. The judges were impressed by how many of the entrants for this year’s award had been supported by ABSW activities, such as the ABSW Summer School, the “Meet the Editor” sessions, and the Monthly Showcase.
After the ceremony, Maeve said it felt “like such a privilege” to win: “And it's great to be in such amazing company, with all the people who've previously won this award and all the other winners here tonight. It feels very special and it's very exciting.”
Looking towards the future, Maeve said: “I just hope to keep doing what I'm doing. I hope to travel more, meet people, tell human stories, and continue to produce important stories in a way that's accessible for everyone. I hope!”
Here are the articles Maeve submitted to the judges and which showcase her ability to find unique stories:
Rory Harris is a science writer who has just completed a Master's degree in Science Communication at Imperial College London. He has a background in physics and is hoping to build a career as a science journalist.
