Renowned Photojournalist From Westport Receives Prestigious Award

WESTPORT, CT — Westport native Lynsey Addario, the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, has been honored by the International Rescue Committee with the group's 2025 Freedom Award for her work that has "exposed the human cost of war and displacement," the organization announced.

In a statement, IRC President and CEO David Miliband said that Addario's work has educated the world about the ravages of war. Past recipients of the award include Winston Churchill, Madeleine Albright, Kofi Annan, and Elie Wiesel.

"Lynsey Addario’s work has been fundamental to shaping our understanding of modern conflict and its devastating impact on the world’s most vulnerable," Miliband said. "Her fearless commitment to bearing witness, telling the stories of those affected by crisis with dignity, humanity, and unflinching honesty embodies the spirit of the Freedom Award. Her images are part of the visual record of the 21st century. We are honored to recognize her both for extraordinary contributions to journalism, and for shaping the public understanding of the human cost of crisis."

From the IRC announcement:

Lynsey Addario is an acclaimed photojournalist and author whose work has exposed the human cost of war and displacement for over two decades. On assignment for The New York Times, National Geographic, and other leading publications, Addario has documented conflicts and humanitarian crises across Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, Darfur, South Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Syria, and Ukraine. Love + War, a feature documentary on Addario’s remarkable career, recently premiered at the 2025 Toronto Film Festival. Her powerful images have brought global attention to the experiences of civilians—especially women and girls—caught in the crossfire.

The IRC’s Freedom Award is awarded annually to individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions in support of the global refugee crisis and saving and improving the lives of the most vulnerable populations around the world.