The Uganda National Journalism Awards 2021 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 2020.
The objectives are to:
- increase the quantity and quality of public affairs reporting and investigative journalism;
- promote accurate, knowledgeable and enterprising investigative reporting in all media;
- advance innovation in storytelling and news presentation;
- motivate aspiring and young journalists to attain and uphold standards of excellence in their profession; and
- increase the diversity of voices in media coverage and spaces within which journalists operate.
Key dates for the Uganda National Journalism Awards 2021
- Entries open: 22 December 2020
- Entries close: 20 February 2021
- Judging process: February-March 2021
- Awards ceremony: April 2021
Awards categories
The Uganda National Journalism Awards 2021 will be given to the best reporting in 20 categories, namely:
| Agriculture reporting | Investigative reporting |
| Arts reporting | Justice, law and order |
| Business, economy and financial reporting | Local reporting |
| Data journalism | National news reporting (Broadcast) |
| Education reporting | National news reporting (Print) |
| Energy and extractive industries | News illustration |
| Environment reporting | Photo and video journalism |
| Explanatory reporting | Political reporting |
| Features | Public works and infrastructure |
| Health reporting | Sports reporting |
The judging process
An independent expert panel of 16 members will select winning entries based on accuracy, initiative, originality, clarity of interpretation, storytelling ability, public benefit, audience engagement, innovation, and writing and creative flair.
The prize
Both the winner and first runner-up in each category will receive a substantial cash prize. Plaques and certificates will also be given. A separate prize for exceptional journalism shall also be awarded to a participant in UNJA who exhibits extensive knowledge of his or her reporting beat, provides evidence of growth over the period of assessment, consistently produces quality work, and is highly regarded by others in the profession. Winners will be celebrated at a grand gala to be held in Kampala in April 2021. Additionally, winning entries will be published online and in a booklet to be distributed by ACME.
How to participate
All submissions must have been published or broadcast in a Ugandan media outlet or a regional outlet with a substantial Ugandan audience during the 2020 calendar year. Web-based news organisations that follow a strict code of journalistic ethics and publish original reporting on a regular basis may also submit entries.
To submit an entry for the awards, visit the Eligibility Rules and Submission Guidelines page.
Further information
For more information about the Uganda National Journalism Awards 2021, write to awards@acme-ug.org, subject: ‘UNJA 2020 inquiries’.