Congratulations are in order for ITV’s Sam Leader, who has won the Emerging Young Talent of the Year award at the 2025 Royal Television Society Awards – winning a cash prize and mentorship from the John Schofield Trust. 

Sam won the award for his work reporting on the 2024 USA elections, including a road trip across different states where he was comfortably able to connect with voters, cut through caricatures and tell a deeper story of trends in American politics. Also highlighted was his investigation on sexual exploitation.

The judging panel, which included a representative from the Trust, commented, “Sam is a very approachable presenter who really understands his audiences.  He is technically extremely competent, bringing together excellent original journalism with multimedia skills.  He brings emotion to his stories but has also been able to influence public policy.  His piece on sextortion was chilling, while his exploration of the MAGA Boys in the USA helped explain Donald Trump’s success among young people in America.  All in all a fabulous submission.”

Sam will be offered a mentor and cash prize as part of his award. Cree-Summer Haughton (ITV) and Hind Khoudary (Al-Jazeera English) were runners-up.