Here’s a list of current media and journalism awards, including deadlines for applying. If we’re missing any major awards, please contact Mark Glaser at mark [at] mediashift [dot] org, and we’ll add them to the list.
Featured Award
Scripps International Innovators Cup
The Scripps International Innovators Cup invites colleges and universities to pit their best student team around a new media business idea with other teams from around the world. The prize is the top international honor offered as part of the Scripps Innovation Challenge, an annual student competition around media entrepreneurship sponsored by the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University. The mission of the prize is to celebrate student innovation around media entrepreneurship and to highlight creativity and entrepreneurship as it is being implemented in communication and journalism school curricula and student clubs around the world. The Innovators Cup Prize awards one team a top prize of $5,000.
Deadline for Team Registration: Feb. 15, 2016
Learn more here!
DECEMBER 2015 DEADLINES & OPPORTUNITIES
2016 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting
Harvard Kennedy School Shorenstein Center
The annual Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting honors investigative reporting that best promotes more effective and ethical conduct of government, the making of public policy, or the practice of politics. The winner receives $25,000, and five finalists receive $10,000. While the subject can address issues of foreign policy, a submission qualifies only if it has an impact on public policy in the United States at the national, regional or local level.
Deadline: Dec. 31, 2015
Data Journalism Awards
Global Editors Network
The awards is an international contest recognizing outstanding work in data journalism worldwide. The deadline for submissions has now closed for this year. Wait until December 2015 for submitting new entries for the 2016 Data Journalism Awards. (Actual deadline in April)
Edward R. Murrow Awards
Radio Television Digital News Association
The award honors outstanding achievements in electronic journalism and are presented to news organizations. The 2015 contest entry period is now closed. The 2016 contest entry period will open in December 2015.
Mirror Awards
Syracuse University S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
The Mirror Awards honor excellence in media industry reporting in various categories for various forms of media. The call for entries is mid-December, specific date TBA.
JANUARY 2016 DEADLINES & OPPORTUNITIES
2016 Eugene S. Pulliam National Journalism Writing Award
Ball State University’s (BSU) Department of Journalism
Since 1960, Ball State University’s Department of Journalism has presented a national journalism award for writing excellence. Outstanding achievements in print journalism have been honored including reporting, writing, and investigative reporting. In recent years, the award has been given largely on the basis of excellence in writing without restriction as to the nature of content or type of reporting.
Deadline: Jan. 8, 2016
Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics
University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Journalism Ethics
One journalism or team will be recognized for reporting on a story or series with ethical excellence — by seeking and reporting truth, minimizing harm, acting independently, and remaining accountable. The deadline for submissions is typically in January, specific date TBA.
Best of Photojournalism Competition
National Press Photographers Association
This long-standing visual journalism competition recognizes the most talented professionals in still, video, multimedia and editing. Photojournalism competitions will open for entry on January 4, 2016.
Overseas Press Club Awards Competition
Overseas Press Club of America
The OPC of America honors annual awards for international coverage in the categories of Newspapers, News Services, Websites, Magazines, Radio, Television, Cartoons, Books and Photography. Work must be published or broadcast in the U.S. or by a U.S.-based company or be accessible to an American audience during 2015. All award applications will be entered online. Only categories with books will send a hard copy to the OPC office. Multiple awards available; see website for full application details.
Deadline: Jan. 29, 2016; for the Corneilus Ryan Award, deadline Jan. 6, 2016
FEBRUARY 2016 DEADLINES & OPPORTUNITIES
Ancil Payne Awards for Ethics in Journalism
University of Oregon
The award honors journalists who inspire public trust and demonstrate exceptional journalism ethics behavior.
Deadline: Feb. 15, 2016
DEADLINES DOWN THE LINE
Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards
Columbia University
The award recognizes excellence in broadcast, documentary and digital journalism.
Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Reporting on the Presidency and on National Defense
Each year, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation awards two distinguished journalism prizes, one for reporting on the Presidency and the other for reporting on National Defense. These prizes, initiated in 1988, recognize reportorial excellence and the fostering of better public understanding of the presidency and national defense. Each year the two prizes are presented to the winners at a reception and luncheon in Washington, D.C. and include a $5,000 award, one for each prize.
AP-Google Scholarship
Online News Association
The scholarship program fosters new journalism skills in undergraduate and graduate students enveloping projects at the intersection of journalism and technology.
APME Journalism Excellence Awards
Associated Press Media Editors
The awards honor superior journalism and innovation among newspapers, radio, television, and online news sites across the United States and Canada.
European Digital Media Awards
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers
The awards honor European publishers that have excelled in their digital offerings.
ICFJ Awards
International Center for Journalists
The ICFJ has various awards, including a news innovation award, which promotes the free flow of news and the open exchange of ideas, and an award for general excellence in journalism.
Online Journalism Awards
Online Journalism Association
The Online Journalism Awards (OJAs) was launched in May 2000 to honor excellence in digital journalism around the world. The 2015 OJAs entry period are open now and close mid-June.
Pulitzer Prizes
Columbia University
The Pulitzer Prize awards achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition.
Selden Ring Award
University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
The Selden Ring Award highlights the importance of investigative journalism in modern day reporting. Nominations are generally received in January.
Shorty Awards
The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media. Millions of people participate in The Shortys to recognize individuals and organizations producing great content on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Foursquare and the rest of the social web.
Society of Professional Journalists Awards
The Society of Professional Journalists has various awards for professional to collegiate journalists for excellence in various forms of media. Awards are rolling and there are several with deadlines in June. Please check the site for more details.
The Bookmarks Awards
Digital Media and Marketing Association
The Bookmarks Awards, based in South Africa, honor excellence in digital work, from websites, app development and games to multimedia and digital journalism.
Webby Awards
The Webby Awards honor the best of the web, from multimedia to digital journalism to interactive publishing to online campaigns.
Sonia Paul is a freelance journalist reporting in India and the United States, and is the editorial assistant at MediaShift. Her work has appeared in a broad range of media, including the Al Jazeera Media Network, Caravan, Foreign Policy, Guardian, Mashable, New York Times, PRI’s The World, Roads & Kingdoms and VICE News. She previously produced the grant-funded podcast series Shizuoka Speaks, based in Japan. She is on Twitter and Instagram @sonipaul.