Uganda National Journalism Awards 2023 open for entries

Key dates:

• Entries open: 1 June 2023
• Entries close: 30 June 2023
• Judging process: July 2023
• Awards gala: 30 August 2023

African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) is pleased to announce the call for entries for the Uganda National Journalism Awards 2023.

The annual Uganda National Journalism Awards were launched nine years ago to inspire and recognise journalism that informs and empowers the public, increases the voices and spaces for citizen debate, and holds the powerful to account. Through the years, the awards have become a prestigious platform to inspire and motivate journalists to continuously strive for excellence, push the boundaries of their craft and raise the standard of journalism in Uganda.

“The eighth edition of these awards reflects the extensive feedback we’ve gathered since their inception in 2014. While we’ve adapted to today’s media landscape, we’ve maintained the core focus of the awards on the content and substance of journalism that is produced for and consumed by Ugandan audiences, says Dr George Lugalambi, ACME’s executive director.

Awards categories

This year, two categories have been included in the Uganda National Journalism Awards to celebrate media institutions that have implemented innovations in their approach to delivering news and information. The media innovation awards recognise organisations that have embraced new technologies, creative strategies, and forward-thinking practices to adapt to the rapidly changing media landscape.

The two new institutional categories are the:

• Newsroom and Editorial Transformation Award – For a media house that has achieved significant advancements in the practice of journalism through a range of transformative editorial initiatives that adapt to the evolving media ecosystem, foster a culture of experimentation, encourage cross-platform collaboration, and enhance storytelling.
• Online and Digital Innovation Award – For newsrooms and media organisations that have demonstrated innovative use of digital platforms, social media and technology to deliver news and engage audiences in the digital sphere.

The Uganda National Journalism Awards will also celebrate the outstanding reporting of individual journalists or teams of journalists that cover an array of pressing public issues with creativity, enterprise and impact. This year, awards will be given for exceptional reporting in 16 subjects, namely:

·         Agriculture reporting	·         Health reporting
·         Arts and culture reporting	·         Justice, law and order reporting
·         Business, economy and finance	·         Opinion and editorial commentary
·         Community reporting	·         Political reporting
·         Defence and security reporting	·         Public accountability reporting
·         Education reporting	·         Public works and infrastructure
·         Energy, petroleum and minerals	·         Science and technology reporting
·         Environmental reporting	·         Urbanisation, land and housing

Of these subject-based, four are new to the Uganda National Journalism Awards, namely: defence and security reporting, opinion and editorial commentary, science and technology reporting, and urbanisation, land and housing reporting. The category previously known as local reporting, has been updated and renamed community reporting.

Four categories previously recognised in the Uganda National Journalism Awards have been dropped. They are investigative reporting, features, news illustration, and photo and video journalism. The change was made to better reflect the evolving landscape of journalism and to ensure the recognition of all forms of journalistic excellence. It allows for the submission of entries in all journalistic formats; from multimedia journalism and data journalism to investigative reports and features.

Visit the awards categories page for descriptions.

Judging process

The judging process for the Uganda National Journalism Awards is rigorous and impartial. An independent panel of esteemed industry professionals, renowned journalists and experts in the field will meticulously evaluate all entries based on criteria such as accuracy, impact, storytelling, originality and overall quality of journalism. Their collective expertise and experience will ensure a comprehensive and unbiased assessment, recognising work that represents the highest standards of the profession.

Prizes and recognition

The winners and runners-up in each awards category will receive monetary awards, trophies and certificates of achievement that symbolise their accomplishments. Winners will be celebrated at a grand gala to be held in Kampala in August 2023.

Eligibility criteria and submission rules

The awards are open to all professional journalists working in print, television, radio and online news platforms in Uganda for stories published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2022. To submit an entry for the awards, visit the eligibility rules and submission guidelines page.

Inquiries

For more information about the Uganda National Journalism Awards 2023, send an email to awards[at]acme-ug.org with the subject, ‘UNJA 2023 inquiries’.