Steve Clemons, editor at large of The National Interest and a prominent figure in American journalism, is the winner of the 2025 Urbino Award. The Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Marco Peronaci, announced the news yesterday evening during a reception he hosted at Villa Firenze in Washington, which was attended by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and other members of the U.S. Administration, Senators Amy Klobuchar, Deborah Fischer, and Joe Manchin, as well as other leading figures in American politics.
“I am very pleased to continue this very special tradition – that has gone on since 2006 – of announcing the winner of the Urbino Award at the Residence of the Italian Ambassador in Washington. The Embassy and the Urbino Award have indeed a special partnership that celebrates excellence in American journalism and its ties to Italy,” the Ambassador emphasized. “Steve Clemons is in many ways a contemporary ‘Renaissance man’: operating at the intersection of information, politics, and technology, he is much more than a journalist,” he added.
“We are grateful to the Embassy of Italy and Ambassador Peronaci for their support of the Urbino Award, which for nearly twenty years has strengthened the ties between Italy and the United States. We want to keep expanding the Award’s impact, also because of its potential to promote our region and our businesses,” commented Giovanni Lani, President of the Urbino Award.
A journalist and well-known blogger, Clemons has worked with leading U.S. outlets such as The Hill and The Atlantic and hosts The Bottom Line on Al Jazeera English. He was also co-founder of Semafor.
The Urbino Award, which recognizes and celebrates excellence in American journalism, will be formally presented to Clemons, as per tradition, in the historic setting of the Ducal Palace of Urbino this coming November. The event also featured remarks by Urbino’s City Council Member for Tourism, Francesco Guazzolini, as well as representatives of the Italian Senate and the Center for American Studies in Rome.
