Twelve extraordinary stories from 12 countries are finalists in the sixth Global Shining Light Award, a unique prize which honors investigative journalism in a developing or transitioning country, done under threat, duress, or in the direst of conditions.

The winners will be announced and presented at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference this October 10 in Lillehammer, Norway. The winners will receive an honorary plaque and US$1,000.

Finalists were selected from among 76 submissions received from 34 countries, for stories published or broadcast between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014. Judging was done by a prestigious international panel of journalists.

The award is sponsored by the Global Investigative Journalism Network, an association of 118 nonprofit organizations in 54 countries. To give attention to the compelling work by all the finalists, GIJN is rolling out their stories a day at a time over a 12-day period

12 Finalists Are Here