The prize recognizes contributions to the art of political writing

The annual awards are in memory of George Orwell (1903-1950), author of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Ignatieff's Virtual War: Kosovo and Beyond won the book section.

"It deals with the issue which taxed most the ethical reasoning of British politicians and intellectuals during the first Blair government," said the judges.

"He responds with a mix of reportage and analyses which captures the spirit of the debate as it unfolded and the pathos of events on the ground."

In the journalism section, Aaronovitch of The Independent was praised as "a great commentator of our time".

"He is a man who writes out of a tremendous rich hinterland of personal experience ... into the very heart of political debate, to which he brings the rock-solid values and generous wit Orwell would surely have recognised.

The judges were Bernard Crick, Joyce McMillan and Ian Hargreaves.