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. Any Featured Awards are paid sponsorships.
MARCH 2016 DEADLINES & OPPORTUNITIES
Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia
Asia Society
Asia Society is currently seeking applications for the Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia. The $10,000 prize is awarded annually to a reporter or team of reporters who has produced the best example of journalism about Asia during the calendar year. Evaluation criteria include impact of the work, its originality, creativity, depth of research and educational value in informing the public about Asia.
Deadline: Mar. 13, 2016
Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health Reporting
The Luv u Project and the National Press Foundation
The Luv u Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about mental health, proudly announces the Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health Reporting, a $10,000 prize for exemplary journalism on this social issue. This Award aims to bring mental health to the forefront of news media. The Award features a partnership between The Luv u Project and the National Press Foundation (NPF). The NPF will administer the entire process and recruit a judges’ panel of journalistic excellence. The winner will be announced in May 2016 to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month.
Deadline: Mar. 15, 2016
Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Award
The Brechner Center
The Brechner Center sponsors an annual $3,000 cash award recognizing excellence in reporting about freedom of information, access to government-held information, or the First Amendment. Articles or a series of articles strictly related to these topics and published in a general circulation publication will meet contest eligibility.
Deadline: Mar. 15, 2016
Knight-Risser Prize for Western Environmental Journalism
Stanford University
The Knight-Risser Prize is given for journalism in any media that best illuminates an environmental issue or story in western Canada, the United States or Mexico. Entries are not limited to journalists from western news organizations. The Knight-Risser prize places a premium on stories that expose undiscovered or covered-up problems, explain detailed solutions in ways that can be put to use, and help readers understand the broader significance of the issues being covered, beyond the immediate details of the stories at hand.
Deadline: Mar. 15, 2016
Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism — Features
American Geophysical Union
The award is presented annually to a journalist for a feature story or series in any medium except books that makes information about the Earth and space sciences accessible and interesting to the general public. The award consists of a plaque and a $5,000 prize.
Deadline: Mar. 15, 2016
David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism — News
American Geophysical Union
This award recognizes excellence in science news reporting, defined as work prepared with a deadline of one week or less. It is presented annually to a journalist for a news story or series in any medium except books that makes information about the Earth and space sciences accessible and interesting to the general public.The award consists of a plaque and a $5,000 prize.
Deadline: Mar. 15, 2016
The Cabot Prizes
The Columbia Journalism Awards
The prizes recognize a distinguished body of work that has contributed to Inter-American understanding. The Cabot Prizes Board and the dean look for exceptional and courageous reporting that impacts society, and evidence of commitment to important stories over the course of a long and distinguished career. They are particularly interested in hearing about journalists and news organizations that have made a sustained contribution to Inter-American understanding through their coverage of the Americas. The board and the dean are also interested in honoring those journalists who have taken active roles in upholding freedom of the press in the Americas. Although awards have been given to publishers and other managerial personnel, the board is especially interested in honoring individual journalists.
Deadline: Mar. 16, 2016
The Emmy Awards
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
The News & Documentary Emmy® Awards recognize outstanding achievement in broadcast journalism and documentary filmmaking. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences promotes journalistic excellence by awarding the coveted Emmy® to the very best news reports and documentary films aired on national television or streamed over the Internet each year.
Early Deadline: Mar. 16, 2016 (reduced entry fee); Final Deadline: Apr. 14, 2016
The MOLLY National Journalism Prize
The Texas Observer and Texas Democracy Foundation
The MOLLY Prize is a national print and online journalism award of $5,000 with two honorable mentions of $1,000 each to be presented by the Texas Democracy Foundation and the Texas Observer in memory of Molly Ivins. Judges look for pieces of great journalism that tell the stories that need telling, challenge conventional wisdom, focus on civil liberties and/or social justice and embody the intelligence, deep thinking and/or passionate wit that marked Molly’s work.
Deadline: Mar. 16, 2016
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.
Deadline: Mar. 18, 2016
SPJ Ethics in Journalism Award
Society of Professional Journalists
The Ethics in Journalism Award honors journalists or news organizations that perform in an outstanding ethical manner demonstrating the ideals of the SPJ Code of Ethics. It also honors especially notable efforts to educate the public on principles embodied in the code or hold journalists ethically accountable for their behavior. The Society may present one Ethics in Journalism Award in any given year unless there are no worthy candidates. Nominations are op en. Self-nomination is permitted.
Deadline: Mar. 20, 2016
SPJ Sunshine Award
Society of Professional Journalists
The Sunshine Award recognizes individuals and groups for making important contributions in the area of open government. Nomination form should be accompanied by a letter(s) of recommendation that addresses why the nominee is deserving of this national recognition. Self-nominations are permitted. Winners will be honored at the President’s Installation Banquet at the SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference.
Deadline: Mar. 20, 2016
The Clark Mollenhoff Award for Excellence in Investigative Reporting
The Institute on Political Journalism
The Mollenhoff Award for Investigative Reporting is given annually to the best newspaper, magazine, or online story that conforms both to the definition of investigative reporting as originally defined by Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and to the professional standards articulated by Clark Mollenhoff in his critiques of journalism craft. Recipients may be a reporter or team of reporters showing initiative similar to Mollenhoff’s.
Deadline: Mar. 21, 2016
The Economic Journalism Award
The Institute on Political Journalism
The Economic Journalism Award is presented to a magazine, newspaper, or online reporter or team of reporters whose series or columns provide the best understanding of free market economic principles and their impact on policies and markets. Original fact-finding and reporting earns special merit.
Deadline: Mar. 21, 2016
AAJA National Journalism Awards
Asian American Journalists Association
AAJA is proud to announce the call for entries and nominations for the 2016 National Journalism Awards, the 2016 Dr. Suzanne Ahn Award for Civil Rights & Social Justice, the 2016 AAJA Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2016 Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism. Award winners will be announced at the 2016 AAJA National Convention in Las Vegas at the Gala Awards & Scholarship Banquet on August 13.
Deadline: Mar. 31, 2016
AIP Science Communication Awards
American Institute of Physics
The Science Communication Awards of the American Institute of Physics (AIP) are established to recognize the best science writing in books; magazines and newspapers; works intended for children; and new media in order to improve the general public’s appreciation of the physical sciences, astronomy, math, and related science fields. Entries are judged by a committee of scientists and journalists, and winning authors receive a prize of $3,000, an engraved Windsor chair, and a certificate of recognition.
Deadline: Mar. 31, 2016
The Fourth Estate Award
The American Legion
The Fourth Estate Award is presented annually by The American Legion to a publication, broadcast organization and online (Internet-based) media for outstanding achievement in the field of journalism. A $2,000 stipend accompanies each award, to defray expenses of the recipients accepting the award at The American Legion National Convention in August.
Deadline: Mar. 31, 2016
APRIL 2016 DEADLINES & OPPORTUNITIES
Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition
Society of American Travel Writers
The 2015-16 SATW Foundation Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition is the 32nd annual contest, offering 23 categories for print, online and multimedia work, travel photography, audio and video broadcast, and blogs.
Deadline: Apr. 1, 2016
National Press Club Journalism Awards
The National Press Club
Through our annual journalism awards, the National Press Club seeks to recognize and honor professional journalists who produced outstanding work in 2015 for the public, either independently or as employees of editorially independent news entities. In all cases, judges will give weight to demonstration of individual enterprise, fairness, accuracy and objectivity.
Deadline: Apr. 1, 2016
SEJ Annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment
Society of Environmental Journalists
SEJ’s awards honor the best environmental journalism in seven categories, bringing recognition to the most important stories on the planet. TV, radio, print and online journalism about environment or related issues are eligible. $500 offered for first-place winners in seven categories.
Deadline: Apr. 1, 2016
Data Journalism Awards
Global Editors Network
The Data Journalism Awards recognize outstanding work in the field of data journalism worldwide.Launched in 2012, it is organized by the Global Editors Network, with support from the Google News Lab and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Previous winning organisations include The New York Times, The Guardian, ProPublica and La Nación.
Deadline: Apr. 10, 2016
Roche Health Journalism Award
Digital and radio journalists living in Latin America who covered health issues in 2015 are invited to compete. Roche Labs Latin America and the Gabriel García Márquez Foundation for a New Iberoamerican Journalism (FNPI) call for the fourth edition of the Roche Health JournalismAward.Entries may be submitted in two categories: Internet and radio. Works must focus on one or more of the following topics: innovation in healthcare, biotechnology and health,access to health treatments, research and development, public health policies and oncology.
Deadline: Apr. 10, 2016
SFJ Excellence-in-Features Awards
Society for Features Journalism
The 28th annual Society for Features Journalism Excellence-in-Features Awards honor the craft of feature storytelling and the people who do it for a living at news organizations and wire services. All entries must have been published in print or online between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2015. The first-place winners in each of 19 categories will receive $300. Winners will be announced in June and honored at SFJ’s national conference in Austin, Texas.
Deadline: April 18, 2016
DEADLINES DOWN THE LINE
Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards
Columbia University
The award recognizes excellence in broadcast, documentary and digital journalism.
Asian Digital Media Awards
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers
The awards honor Asian publishers that have excelled in their digital offerings.
LATAM Digital Media Awards
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers
The awards honor Latin American publishers that have excelled in their digital offerings.
Middle East Digital Media Awards
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers
The awards honor Middle Eastern publishers that have excelled in their digital offerings.
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
Presented by the 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.
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.
Ben DeJarnette is the associate editor at MediaShift. He is also a freelance contributor for Pacific Standard, InvestigateWest, Men’s Journal, Runner’s World, Oregon Quarterly and others. He’s on Twitter @BenDJduck.