Renowned journalist and anchor Gwen Ifill is the winner of the 2015 10th Urbino Press Award, an Italian prize assigned every year to an American journalist. The official announcement will be made this coming April 22 by Italy’s Ambassador to the USA, Claudio Bisogniero, at a ceremony that will be held at the Embassy of Italy un Washington. Gwen Ifill will be present to accept the Award.
“Gwen Ifill’s calm and collected style and professionalism are synonymous with the utmost fair and unbiased news coverage in America and abroad,” said Ambassador Bisogniero. “It is a true honor to announce that such an extraordinary talent has been chosen as the recipient of 2015 Urbino Press Award, joining the long list of prominent American journalists awarded in the past nine editions,” continued Bisogniero.
Gwen Ifill is the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and co-anchor and co-managing editor of the PBS NewsHour, both of which air on Public Broadcasting Service. She is a political analyst, and moderated the 2004 and 2008 Vice Presidential debates. She is also the author of the book The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.
"I am deeply honored to accept this prestigious award for doing the work I love -- explaining our world.”, stated Gwen Ifill.
The prize itself will be awarded at the Palazzo Ducale in the City of Urbino in June. The City of Urbino, which during the Renaissance gave life to one of the most enlightened courts of Europe, symbolically reinstates its court, once enriched by geniuses like Baldassarre Castiglione and Torquato Tasso, with the voice and experience of today’s journalists, the outstanding interpreters of the events that are changing our world.
Previous recipients of the Urbino Press Award, chaired by Giovanni Lani, are Diane Rehm, Michael Weisskopf, Martha Raddatz, Thomas Friedman, David Ignatius, Helene Cooper, Sebastian Rotella, Wolf Blitzer, and Maria Bartiromo.
“The Urbino Press Award,” underscored President of the Marche Region, Gian Mario Spacca, “ is an initiative that has been able, in the last nine years, to consolidate the already strong collaboration between our region and the United States.
Thanks to the very potent thrust of culture and of the excellence of the media and thanks to the many parallel initiatives linked to the prize, the knowledge connecting the Marche Region and the USA deepens and becomes richer with new ideas. This is a way to showcase, ever more, the beauties of our land to the United States, which has already shown its appreciation in its ever growing visitor numbers. To the winner of the 2015 Urbino Press Award, Gwen Ifill, the most sincere congratulations on behalf of all the Marche Region.”
The Award is made possible with support from the Marche Region, the City of Urbino, the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Washington, together with the Chamber of Commerce of Pesaro and Urbino and the Piero Guidi fashion house.
