Please read these instructions carefully in their entirety. Entrants are also encouraged to read the category descriptions for clarity. For any inquiries, email awards[at]acme-ug.org with the subject line “UNJA 2026 inquiries.”

All submissions should be made using the following online forms:

Eligibility

  • There is no entry fee.
  • The competition is open to all journalists, whether freelance or full-time, as well as independent content producers working in Uganda.
  • Entries are welcome from anyone producing journalistic content on any platform, online or offline. Independent content producers whose work meets journalistic standards and is relevant to the competition are also encouraged to submit.
  • Submitted work must have been published or broadcast by a Ugandan media outlet or a regional news outlet that is widely accessible in Uganda.
  • All work must have been published, broadcast, or implemented between 1 January and 31 December 2025.
  • Entries must be submitted by midnight on 31 January 2026.

Submission rules and guidelines

All submissions must be made online using the UNJA 2026 institutional awards submission form or the UNJA 2026 subject-based categories submission form.

Individual Awards and the Rising Star Award for Excellence in Early-Career Journalism:

  • Work may be submitted in only one category. If you submit entries to more than one category, you will be automatically disqualified from the competition.
  • Entrants must complete the submission form in full.
  • Submissions should include a body of work in a single category, consisting of a minimum of three pieces of journalistic work and a maximum of five pieces. This may include:
    • Related pieces or series covering a single topic in depth; or
    • Unrelated pieces on various topics within the same category, showing versatility and consistent quality.

Stanbic Shield of Journalism Award: Media institutions must submit entries using the UNJA 2026 Shield of Journalism submission form.

Translation requirement: If the work was published or broadcast in a language other than English, an English translation or transcript must be provided.

Access to entries: If work is behind a paywall or limited-access platform, entrants must provide content in readable PDF format. Failure to provide accessible content during screening and judging will result in disqualification.

Notice

  • Information provided during submission will not be sold to third parties but may be shared as necessary for conducting the contest, judging entries and awarding prizes.
  • ACME reserves the right to disqualify any individual or institution found tampering with the entry process, violating contest rules, or attempting to disrupt the awards’ legitimate operation. Entries containing professional ethical violations or inappropriate content will be disqualified.
  • By submitting an entry, entrants represent and warrant that they have the necessary rights to do so and are the author creator, or producer of the work. Entrants grant ACME permission to feature winning entries on its website and in awards-related communications.

Mandatory entry formats for individual award categories

Print/Photography entries:

  • Submit clean, legible, text-recognisable PDFs with visible publication dates.
  • Include photographs or illustrations as published, either embedded in the PDF or as cuttings of the original pages.

Radio/Audio entries:

  • Submit full audio entries not exceeding 60 minutes.
  • Large files may be shared via Google Drive or other file-sharing services.

Television/Video entries:

  • Submit entries in MP4, AVI, or MOV format, not exceeding 60 minutes.
  • Large files may be sent via Google Drive or other file-sharing services, with a note included in the submission form.

Online entries:

  • Provide offline, legible, machine-readable PDFs of online content. Do not submit only a link, as this will disqualify you from competition.
  • Include live or cached links to verify publication or broadcast.

Deadline

All entries must be received by midnight on 31 January 2026. ACME is not responsible for late, lost or misdirected entries.