Entries close 14 April for the 2025 Mid-Year Media Prizes.
2024 winners were announced on 20 June, 2024 in Sydney.
Read on to see the full list of opportunities, and click through to find out further information.
Prizes
- Coverage of Science and the Environment Prize
- Freelance Journalist of the Year Prize
- Women’s Leadership in Media Prize
- Arts Journalism and Arts Criticism Prize supported by the Geraldine Pascall Foundation
- Our Watch Award for Excellence in Reporting on Violence Against Women
- Media Diversity Australia Prize
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: Innovative Storytelling (NEW)
- 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.
Freelance Journalist of the Year Prize
The Freelance Journalist of the Year Prize recognises the unique contribution that freelance journalists make across all media platforms to the future of the industry.
Coverage of Science and the Environment Prize
This prize 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.
Women’s Leadership in Media Prize
Established in 2016, the Women’s Leadership in Media Prize 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 Women’s Leadership in Media Prize is self-nominated and open to women working in media that’s mainstream or alternative, collaborative or individual.
Arts Journalism and Arts Criticism Prize
Supported by the Geraldine Pascall Foundation
The Arts Journalism and Arts Criticism Prize recognises a significant contribution to arts journalism and/or cultural criticism. It rewards excellence in the reporting on or analysis of arts issues; and celebrates the unique contribution of critics to our cultural landscape and the specialist, detailed knowledge they draw on to contextualise their commentary.
Entries in this category must be a single piece of work or a series of no more than three related pieces. Thanks to the support of the Hantomeli Foundation, the winner of this award will receive $5000 in prize money.
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).
Media Diversity Australia Prize
Administered by the Walkley Foundation
The Media Diversity Australia Prize 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 twelve-week scholarship will be broken down into 10 weeks with Nine in Sydney and 2 weeks with The Walkley Foundation.
The ARN Audio Scholarship
If you are passionate about audio journalism, this scholarship offers an early-career journalist the opportunity to receive hands-on experience in a busy commercial newsroom, including in radio and podcasts. There are ARN newsrooms around Australia and the successful applicant has options for a regional or metro placement, or a mix of both.
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.