CJID 2026 Excellence in Journalism Awards

The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development opens the third edition of its Excellence in Journalism Awards, recognising outstanding journalism, newsroom leadership, fact-checking, media innovation, and community-centred reporting across West Africa. Award categories cover eight themes — best fact-check, best health reporting, best climate and environmental reporting, best solutions journalism, best community reporting, best reporting on sexual and gender-based violence, best reporting on social accountability, and best reporting on human rights — alongside an Editor of the Year Award introduced in this edition. Winners receive an award plaque and prizes at a ceremony during the CJID Media and Development Conference in November 2026.

Eligibility

• Open to journalists, fact-checkers, and media organisations based in Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Senegal, and Ivory Coast that have promoted accountability, public interest, innovation, and impactful storytelling in West Africa.
• Entries must be original work published or broadcast between 1 September 2025 and 31 August 2026; entries already submitted in previous editions are not eligible, even if they fall within the call period.
• Each applicant may submit a maximum of two entries in total, with no more than one entry per category; multiple entries in the same category or entries by the same journalist in more than two categories will be disqualified.
• A shared byline counts as one entry for all journalists listed; if two journalists co-authored a piece and both apply independently, each uses up one of their two maximum entries.
• A statement on the use of AI in the reporting process (100 words maximum) is required; failure to declare AI use may lead to disqualification.
• Submissions in any regional language are welcome, but English translations must be provided for non-English entries.
• Employees and relatives of CJID and its fact-checking partner DUBAWA are not eligible; stories funded or supported by CJID/DUBAWA are not eligible.
• For the Editor of the Year Award, only full-time editorial staff with at least five years’ experience are eligible; freelance editors may not apply; each newsroom may submit only one nomination.

Requirements

• A link or file of the story, report, or series.
• A brief synopsis of the work (200 words maximum).
• A brief description of the impact or significance of the work (200 words maximum).
• For the Editor of the Year Award: links to three stories the editor supervised, a 200-word explanation of editorial contribution to each, and a 300-word summary of key editorial accomplishments during the award year.

How to Apply

Submit via the relevant Google Form before 12 September 2026. Separate forms exist for reporters and for editor nominees. Apply here (reporters), or apply here (Editor of the Year).

For more information, please visit this page.