2024 entries have closed. 2024 winners were announced on 20 June at the Mid-Year Celebration.
Read on to see the full list of opportunities, and click through to find out further information.
Awards
- Young Australian Journalist of the Year Awards
- Coverage of Science and the Environment
- The June Andrews Award for Freelance Journalist of the Year
- The June Andrews Award for Women’s Leadership in Media
- The June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism
- The Pascall Prize for Cultural Criticism
- The June Andrews Award for Industrial Reporting
- Our Watch Award for Excellence in Reporting on Violence Against Women
- Humanitarian Storytelling Award
- Media Diversity Australia Award
The John B Fairfax Family Young Australian Journalist of the Year Awards
These awards recognise and reward the hard work of our most outstanding young Australian journalists. These awards will recognise the work of journalists aged 28 and under who demonstrate excellence in the fundamental tenets of the craft as well as the ability to present distinctive and original journalism that pushes the boundaries of the profession.
The categories are:
- All media: Shortform Journalism
- All media: Longform Feature or Special
- All media: Coverage of Community & Regional Affairs
- All media: Visual Storytelling
- All media: Public Service Journalism
- Student Journalist of the Year
The overall John B Fairfax Family Young Australian Journalist of the Year is chosen from the winners of the above categories.
To make the awards even more accessible to a diverse range of young reporters, a philanthropic grant from the Jibb Foundation subsidies entry fees, allowing them to remain at $50 per category, with the exception of the Student Journalist of the Year category, which is free. Entry remains free for MEAA union members.
The June Andrews Award for Freelance Journalist of the Year
The June Andrews Award for Freelance Journalist of the Year recognises the unique contribution that freelance journalists make across all media platforms to the future of the industry.
First awarded in 2012, this accolade is an initiative of the Walkley Foundation in partnership with Media Super and MEAA. The winner receives two tickets to the Walkley Awards Gala Dinner.
Coverage of Science and the Environment
The award acknowledges journalists covering advances, challenges and concerns in fields such as medicine, science, technology, innovation, climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, deforestation, and pollution.
Judges will consider the overall quality of the journalism, scientific accuracy, and how the reporting brought important new information to light and served the public interest or offered a better understanding of the subject matter. Explainers can also be entered in this category.
The June Andrews Award for Women’s Leadership in Media
Initiated as a category in 2016, the June Andrews Award for Women’s Leadership in Media honours women who are making an outstanding journalistic contribution to gender equality and the visibility of women in society – both in Australia and on a global scale.
It celebrates reporting that demonstrates notable innovation, enterprise or courage in raising awareness of women’s experiences and perspectives, and reflects the significance of media coverage in altering perceptions, challenging stereotypes and fighting misinformation. The June Andrews Award for Women’s Leadership in Media is self-nominated and open to women working in media that’s mainstream or alternative, collaborative or individual.
The June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism
The June Andrews Award for Arts Journalism recognises a significant contribution in reporting, writing, news-breaking and analysis of arts issues. This may include profiles of artists, features and investigations, reporting on the structures and personalities involved in the creation of contemporary culture, and examination of the creative arena.
Entries in this category must be a single piece of work or a series of no more than three related reports. It is open to individuals or group entries up to three people.
The June Andrews Awards for Industrial Relations Reporting
The June Andrews Awards for Industrial Relations Reporting, in memory of Helen O’Flynn and Alan Knight, is an all-media award recognising outstanding journalism which captures the importance of a robust industrial relations ecosystem for Australian workers and businesses, as well as its complexities. Journalists working in all media are encouraged to apply and need not be designated Industrial Relations reporters.
The Pascall Prize for Cultural Criticism
The Pascall Prize, managed by the Walkley Foundation, celebrates the unique contribution of critics to our cultural landscape and the specialist, detailed knowledge they draw on to contextualise works of art. Criticism includes both reviews responding to the work itself, and deeper criticism placing work in the context of the artist’s oeuvre, specific genres and/or the current social/political/cultural landscape. Judges consider critical thinking; balanced, rigorous argument and evaluation; depth of knowledge and ability to contextualise; and engaging, illuminating voices. Entries in this category must be a single piece of work or a series of no more than three related reports. Open only to individual entrants.
The Our Watch Award for Excellence in Reporting on Violence Against Women, administered by the Walkley Foundation
The Our Watch Award for excellence in reporting on violence against women and children recognises the work of an individual, team or news organisation in highlighting the drivers of gendered violence and the way these intersect with other forms of discrimination and abuse faced by victims. Eligible formats include rolling coverage or a series of news reports or features, or one longform piece. Entries can be examples of journalism of any medium (text, radio or visual) and published on any platform (print, broadcast, online and through social media).
The Humanitarian Storytelling Award
Millions of people around the world feel the humanitarian fallout from crisis and conflict every day. Wars are longer, increasingly fought in cities, and often between more armed groups with deadlier weapons than ever before. The human cost of conflict can be obscured when it takes place oceans away often leaving a legacy of poverty on communities and children. The Humanitarian Storytelling Award seeks to elevate the unheard stories of communities affected by armed conflict, humanitarian crisis, and other impacts of conflict including violence, human trafficking, access to resources and poverty. It celebrates storytelling that does no harm, respects dignity, is inclusive, compassionate and people-focused. It recognises the role that journalists play in defending dignity in times of humanitarian crisis, war and conflict.
Media Diversity Australia Award administered by the Walkley Foundation
The Media Diversity Australia Award honours journalists who are making an outstanding contribution through their reporting or coverage of diverse people or issues in Australia. This includes culturally and linguistically diverse communities (CALD) and people with disability (PWD). It celebrates reporting that demonstrates notable courage in raising awareness of CALD and/or PWD experiences and perspectives, as well as innovation in the telling of these stories. It recognises the significance of media coverage in providing nuanced reporting which serves to alter perceptions and attitudes, challenge stereotypes and fight misinformation.
Scholarships
The Jacoby-Walkley Scholarship with Nine
If you have big dreams of carving out a career in the competitive television industry: this is the opportunity of a lifetime.
Established in 2013 with support from media executive and award-winning TV producer Anita Jacoby to recognise the legacy of her father Phillip Jacoby – a pioneer in the Australian electronics and broadcast industry. This scholarship offers applicants the chance to learn from some of Australia’s leading news and current affairs journalists and producers.
This fourteen-week scholarship will be broken down into 10 weeks with Nine in Sydney and 4 weeks with The Walkley Foundation.
The WIN News Broadcast Scholarship
This scholarship caters to aspiring journalists who are looking for an opportunity to follow their dreams of a career in the media. This scholarship is open to an outstanding student in their final year at university, or a recent graduate aged 26 years or younger.
WIN News are providing an exceptional opportunity to learn from newsroom leaders and sharpen your reporting skills in the broadcast industry.
The Walkley Indigenous Scholarship with Junkee Media and 10 News First
An exciting opportunity for an aspiring Indigenous journalist to develop their newsroom experience with two leading news providers. This 12-week scholarship will be broken down into six weeks with Junkee Media and six weeks with 10 News First in Sydney. You’ll develop a broad understanding of newsroom and production processes and requirements, and as a member of the team you will be encouraged to share your ideas, skills and knowledge. Learn more and apply here.
Grants
The Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism
The Sean Dorney Grant for Pacific Journalism provides a grant of $10,000 to assist up to two Australian journalists to produce a significant work of journalism in any medium that gives voice to Pacific island perspectives on an under-reported issue or development of importance to Australia and the region. For more information click here.
2024 entries have closed. 2024 finalists were announced on 23 May. Winners were announced at the Mid-Year Celebration on 20 June, 2024.