Full Fact becomes first team to receive British Academy award historically awarded to individuals

The British Academy has awarded its prestigious President’s Medal for the first time to an organisation, Full Fact, rather than an individual in recognition of the team’s vital work combating misinformation and disinformation.

The President’s Medal – the Academy’s highest honour in its suite of prizes and medals – is awarded annually in recognition of services to the humanities and the social sciences and has historically been awarded to individuals. Previous recipients include historian and broadcaster David Olusoga, author Margaret Atwood, journalist Gillian Tett and primatologist Dame Jane Goodall.

The Academy has awarded the 2022 President’s Medal to Full Fact in recognition of its work finding, exposing and countering misinformation and misleading claims and to the organisation, rather than any one individual, to highlight the importance of effective teamwork and collaboration. Founded in 2008 by a cross-party group, Full Fact is a team of independent fact checkers and campaigners who seek to safeguard democracy by countering the spread of mis- and disinformation in the public sphere.

Each year, the British Academy recognises excellence in the SHAPE subjects (Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts for People and the Economy) by awarding a wide-ranging suite of prizes and medals.

Professor Julia Black, President of the British Academy, said:

“We’re delighted to award this year’s President’s Medal to an organisation. While it is important to celebrate individuals and we will continue to do so, we should also find ways to recognise the need and potency of effective, collegiate teamwork – traits that Full Fact exemplify and apply to make a tangible, positive contribution to society.

“Every single member of the Full Fact team has played an integral role in public life over recent years by tackling the misleading claims, misinformation and disinformation that erode democratic institutions and processes. This is painstaking and high-stakes work that requires a whole range of skills, dedication and commitment. I hope that by awarding the President’s Medal to Full Fact, we can raise awareness of this invaluable work and its vital contribution to the health of democratic society.”

On receiving the British Academy’s President’s Medal, Will Moy, Chief Executive of Full Fact, said:

“We are thrilled that the Academy has shown such leadership in choosing to give the award to a team for the first time. We think this message from the Academy is timely and important. Full Fact's team has had to respond to all kinds of challenges in the past few years – including UK politics, the pandemic, and the invasion of Ukraine – and risen to them all. This recognition is well timed to celebrate all that.”