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. Award descriptions are excerpts, edited for length and clarity.
FEATURED AWARD
Mirror Awards
Syracuse University S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
Now in their 11th year, the Mirror Awards are the most important awards for honoring excellence in media industry reporting. Established by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, the awards honor the reporters, editors and teams of writers who hold a mirror to their own industry for the public’s benefit. Enter now at: http://mirrorawards.syr.edu.
Deadline: Feb. 15, 2017
JANUARY DEADLINES
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.
Deadline: Jan. 20, 2017
Pulitzer Prizes
Columbia University
The Pulitzer Prize awards achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition.
Deadline: Jan. 25, 2017
Aronson Awards
Hunter College Department of Film & Media Studies
Since 1990, the Aronson Awards have honored original, written reporting that exposes widespread injustices, underlying causes, and possible reforms. This includes exposing discrimination based on race, class, gender, religion or sexual orientation; economic exploitation; violations of human rights, civil liberties or free expression; environmental degradation; and brutality to civilians in war.
The Aronson Award recognizes original work published in English in newspapers, magazines, blogs and online publications based in the U.S. A separate prize, the Grambs Aronson Award for Cartooning with a Conscience, recognizes the achievements of political cartoonists whose work focuses on social issues.
Deadline: Jan. 10, 2017
FEBRUARY DEADLINES
The Michael Kelly Award
Atlantic Media Co.
The Michael Kelly Award honors a writer or editor whose work exemplifies a quality that animated Michael Kelly’s own career: the fearless pursuit and expression of truth.
Deadline: Feb. 3, 2017
Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards of Investigative Reporting
The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards of Investigative Reporting recognize the best in government-related investigative reporting from across the Midwest region.
Deadline: Feb. 6, 2017
Scripps Howard Awards
The Scripps Howard Foundation awards $180,000 across 15 categories. The work honored by the Scripps Howard Awards is testimony to the proudest traditions of a free press, representing the best of the meaning of the Scripps Howard Foundation’s purpose of “Giving Light. Changing Lives.”
Deadline: Feb. 10, 2017
Ancil Payne Awards for Ethics in Journalism
University of Oregon
The Ancil Payne Awards honor journalists who exhibit extraordinary commitment to the highest standards of ethical conduct in journalism, even when faced with economic, personal or political pressure.
Deadline: Feb. 13, 2017
Sigma Delta Chi Awards for Excellence in Journalism
Society of Professional Journalists
The awards recognize the best in professional journalism in categories covering print, radio, television, newsletters, art/graphics, online and research.
Deadline: Feb. 13, 2017
Tribeca Snapchat Shorts
The Tribeca Film Festival and Snap Inc. are excited to bring back Tribeca Snapchat Shorts, now an official Festival category, created in an effort to discover visionary artists in the mobile space. This new category provides the perfect opportunity for people who are passionate about Snapchat and narrative storytelling to present their mastery of the smallest screen. The Festival and Snap Inc. are excited to support the next generation of storytellers and promote creativity on Snapchat.
Deadline: Feb. 17, 2017
New America Award
Society of Professional Journalists
SPJ’s New America Award honors public service journalism that explores and exposes an issue of importance to immigrant or ethnic communities currently living in the United States.
Deadline: Feb. 20, 2017
NYU Journalism Reporting Award
The Reporting Award provides support of up to $12,500 for a work of journalism in any medium on significant underreported subjects in the public interest. In establishing the award, the Carter Journalism Institute’s faculty cited the need for encouraging enterprise journalism during a time of extensive layoffs and budget cuts throughout the journalism industry.
Deadline: Feb. 21, 2017
SPJ National High School Essay Contest
SPJ wants to increase high school students’ knowledge and understanding of the importance of the Free Media to our lives. The top three national winners receive scholarship awards.
Deadline: Feb. 23, 2017
MARCH & BEYOND DEADLINES
International Women’s Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award
The International Women’s Media Foundation’s Courage in Journalism Award honors women journalists for their extraordinary bravery. In facing and surviving danger to uncover the truth, they raise the bar for reporting under duress. The IWMF also recognize the pioneers who kicked down barriers to make it possible for women all over the world to find their voices and make them heard. Lifetime Achievement Award winners persevered, opening doors for future generations to make a difference.
Deadline: March 1, 2017
International Women’s Media Foundation Anja Niedringhaus Courage In Photojournalism Award
The Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award was created to honor the life and work of Pulitzer Prize-winning AP photographer and IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winner Anja Niedringhaus (1965-2014). With this Award, the IWMF celebrates the courage of women photojournalists like Anja. The Award recognizes the importance of visual journalistic work that inspires us to take action and compels us to better understand the world.
Deadline: March 1, 2017
Meyer “Mike” Berger Award
The Columbia Journalism Awards
The Meyer “Mike” Berger Award and its $2,000 cash prize are awarded for outstanding human interest reporting across platforms.
Deadline: March 3, 2017
Data Journalism Awards
Global Editors Network
The awards is an international contest recognizing outstanding work in data journalism worldwide.
Deadline: April 7, 2017
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.
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.
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.
The Cabot Prizes
The Columbia Journalism Awards
The prizes recognize a distinguished body of work that has contributed to Inter-American understanding.
Mark of Excellence Awards
Society of Professional Journalists
The Mark of Excellence Awards honors the best in collegiate journalism. Judged at the regional and national level, the annual competition offers 51 categories in newspapers, magazines, photography, radio, television and online journalism.
Bianca Fortis is the associate editor at MediaShift, a founding member of the Transborder Media storytelling collective and a social media consultant. Follow her on Twitter @biancafortis.