Awards are a great way to have your hard work recognised by industry experts and celebrate your teams. Here is where you can apply this year
Journalists up and down the country are working hard covering stories that matter to their audiences. It is nice to get all that effort recognised by the industry and celebrate success with your team.
So whether you are a writer, a broadcaster, a podcaster or anything in between, we rounded up media awards that you can apply for this year.
We will update this piece regularly - let us know if you hear about awards that should be featured.
The awards are ordered by application deadline.
2025 ABSW Awards
Deadline: 31 January
Entry price: £0-£55, depending on membership status
The ABSW awards, are the oldest established awards for science writing and have now been running for over 50 years. They reward bravery, flair and independence in science journalism, setting the standards of excellence across eleven categories.
Entries remain open throughout January 2025 with finalists announced in May. Winners are announced at the annual awards ceremony in June - the highlight of the science journalism calendar. Winners receive £500, a certificate and the much coveted ‘Award-winning science journalist’ mug.
Sandford St Martin Awards
Entry price: Free
The Sandford St Martin Awards are the UK’s most prestigious broadcast awards for audio and video content that explores religious, spiritual or ethical themes. The awards are free and easy to enter, and categories include the journalism award - recognising broadcast journalism featuring a clear and articulate religious dimension. Submissions can include broadcast coverage of breaking news, original investigative or analytical journalism. Winners are decided by panels of media professionals and judges will be looking for fresh insights into how religion has affected political, social or economic events or decisions.
2025 PPA Awards
Deadline: 20 January 2025 (early bird); 17 February (final deadline)
Entry price: £193 + VAT for PPA members, £386 + VAT for non-members. Other discounts are available
With over 30 categories to enter, including some new ones for 2025, the Awards recognise outstanding work across all job functions and businesses that drive deep engagement with specialist audiences.
BSME Talent Awards 2025
Deadline: 14 February
Entry price: £65-£162, depending on your company. Discounts available.
The BSME Talent Awards celebrate editorial excellence, best practice and groundbreaking creativity and innovation among grassroots teams across all digital, print and social platforms. These awards shine a light on the magazine industry's rising stars, unsung heroes and brilliant teams. By entering, you are offering the chance for everyone involved in the editorial success of your brand to be recognised - by your peers, your readers and your commercial partners. It’s a great way to show some love to the superstars on your team and highlight the editors of tomorrow.
WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Europe
Deadline: 28 February
Entry price: 100€-150€, depending on membership status
For over a decade, WAN-IFRA has honoured the most groundbreaking and innovative digital initiatives across Europe and beyond. This year, they are proud to feature 12 categories that spotlight the core areas driving newsroom initiatives.
The Private Eye: The Paul Foot Award 2025
Deadline: 4 March
The award was set up in memory of Paul Foot, who died in 2004. Foot was an investigative journalist, editor and left-wing campaigner who worked variously for the Daily Record, the Daily Mirror, The Guardian and Private Eye. He was involved in many high-profile campaigns throughout his illustrious career, including the Birmingham Six, the Bridgewater Four and the John Poulson scandal. The winning entry will be awarded £8,000 at an awards ceremony on 20 May 2025.
Gareth Jones Travelling Memorial Scholarship
Deadline: 31 March 2025
A cash prize of £2,500 is up for grabs to students or graduates of Welsh universities, to fund a 1,800 word feature about Wales and the World to be published in the Western Mail as part of the newspaper's commitment to the memory of their journalist Gareth Jones. Applicants must send a 500-word cover letter outlining their experience in journalism and/or international affairs and a 1,000 word pitch for the story brief.
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