Nicole Sadek, investigative reporter with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, today won the prestigious Livingston Award for International Reporting.
Sadek’s award-winning story, “The Lost Village,” exposed how emissions from Western oil operations led to a suspected wave of illness and the forced relocation of residents of Berezovka, a Kazakh village near the Karachaganak oil field. Published as part of ICIJ’s 2024 Caspian Cabals investigation, her reporting drew attention to overlooked communities harmed by the oil industry and revealed how Western energy companies evaded responsibility for long-term damage.
Sadek, 26, said she felt honored to receive the award.
“This recognition highlights the importance of reporting on and writing about the consequences Western corporations have on distant communities that are often under-reported on,” she said. “Through tears and visible frustration, the people of Berezovka were gracious in telling me about the harrowing events that led to the disbandment of their village and about the severe medical ailments they and their children now suffer.”
The Livingston Awards, known as the “Pulitzer for the Young” honor outstanding journalists under 35. The awards are administered by Wallace House Center for Journalists at the University of Michigan.
Sally Buzbee, Livingston Award national judge and Reuters editor for the U.S. and Canada, praised Sadek.
“Nicole Sadek brought tenacity and sensitivity to the story of a decade-old tragedy — the relocation of an entire village in northwestern Kazakhstan because of serious health issues suffered by its people linked to a nearby Western-run oil and gas field,” Buzbee said. “Her reporting, with its description of the difficulties the villagers of Berezovka faced in securing assistance or accountability, allowed a wider audience to understand this story and its clear warnings for the future.”
ICIJ Executive Director Gerard Ryle said Sadek’s recognition underscores the power of nonprofit collaborative journalism to make a global impact.
“Nicole’s work exemplifies what ICIJ stands for — giving voice to those who are too often ignored and holding powerful institutions to account,” Ryle said. “She brought compassion, rigor and an international lens to a story that might otherwise have been forgotten. We’re proud to have her on our team.”
Sadek first came to ICIJ in 2022 as a Roy Howard fellow. At the conclusion of her fellowship, she worked as a data journalist at Bloomberg Law before returning to ICIJ as a full-time staff member last year.
