Missing in the Amazon

Missing in the Amazon is a six-part podcast series investigating the murders of British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian indigenous defender Bruno Pereira in a remote corner of the Amazon rainforest. Produced over three years, it uncovers how the killings happened and investigates the complex networks of organised crime and political corruption behind them. 

The series, which innovatively subverts the true crime genre, is presented by Philip’s close friend and colleague, Latin America correspondent Tom Phillips. This gives it a powerful angle of personal grief, which accompanies in-depth analysis of how to stop destruction of the Amazon rainforest, told through a true crime lens. 

Missing in the Amazon was featured on the BBC’s Best Podcasts of 2025 list and described as “an excellent investigation” and praised for "avoiding the often-exploitative pitfalls of the [true crime] genre”. It was nominated for a Rose D’Or in the best audio category.

The series is an audience hit as much as a critical darling, reaching more than one million listens and topping the overall charts on Apple Podcasts in both the UK and Australia. And it has amplified an urgent global conversation about what needs to be done to stop the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. 

Judges’ comments: “Three years, 10 trips to the Amazon and a presenter with a deeply personal stake in the story combine to produce an investigation that is emotionally devastating.”