Hive Event

The Young Journalist awards are open to journalists aged 30 or under to the year ending 30 September 2026. Entries should demonstrate good research, investigative style and bold subjects. 

Each category winner will receive an Award covering work published, broadcast, podcast or produced on a digital platform, for the Year ending 30 September 2026.

Entry to the awards is via an online entry form available on the website.

This award will recognise entries highlighting the financial aspects of a particular company, sector or issue. This could involve funding for projects, companies’ finances, corporate governance or any other business elements of a sector. The judges will be seeking meaningful stories that clearly demonstrate an overall understanding of the sector, subject, and the needs of their readers/viewers, as well as sound business and financial outcomes.

The entry can be a series of pieces, print, broadcast or digital posts, or a mixture of media outlets, that have made a difference in society and serve the public interest. The campaign can focus on any sector, for instance: consumer affairs, personal finance, travel, health, business/financial and the public sector. The three pieces (submitted) should reflect the same campaign’s main issues and how the campaign has kept those issues focused and any responses, from those who can make a resolution, to the campaign.

Entries, in print, broadcast, or digital platforms, should demonstrate journalistic skill and rigour, that is revelatory and which serves to inform the UK public interest. This category can include campaigns (i.e.; all three stories can cover different aspects of the same topic) that have scrutinised and brought new information to light on important issues.

Entrants need to clearly demonstrate that they have used research, and investigative skills on writing about any sector of the environment including the utilities, built environment and heritage sectors.
The three pieces of work in this category can also form an investigative campaign on a single issue.

This award covers:
Visual Arts: including architecture, ceramics, drawing, filmmaking, painting, photography, and sculpting. 
Literary Arts: including fiction, drama. poetry and prose. 
Performing Arts: including dance, music, and theatre. 
Entries can include the analysis and assessment of the merits and faults of a literary or artistic work, profiles, together with interviews.

Entries in this category should be accompanied by an explanation of no more than 200 words maximum per story, giving the background to the three pieces of work submitted.  For example, you may wish to explain that the story was an ‘exclusive’ or that the degree of research or teamwork required to produce the story was of particular merit.

Entries for this category should be accompanied by an explanation of no more than 200 words maximum per story, outlining the three pieces of works relevance to current issues in any sector. 
This category also allows for a series of stories (no more than three) on the same subject over two or more issues of a publication, programme, or online platform.

Open to journalists who cover news and trends in health, related science, medical devices, healthcare, and wellbeing. The judges will look for originality and the ability to explain complex concepts with clarity.

Open to journalists covering travel across all forms: news, interviews, and analysis, features and reviews, with originality and a deep understanding of the topic.

The focus of this category is relevant to journalists who have used strong investigative skills in the world of sport that informs and serves the public interest.

You can use stories from a mix of platforms – print, online, podcast, broadcast, or from a single source. Create an account here to start your FREE submission. 

Journalists may enter as many categories as they wish, although the same pieces of work cannot be submitted for more than one category.

All entries should have been published in print, online, or broadcast in the twelve-month period ending 30th September 2026.

Only one entry consisting of three pieces of work is allowed per category from the same journalist.

Each category entry must be accompanied by a completed entry form and three different pieces of work published in print, online or broadcasted, in the year ending 30th September 2026.

PLEASE NOTE THAT EACH ENTRY OF THREE STORIES MUST HAVE A COMPLETED ENTRY FORM AND A STATEMENT, WHERE APPLICABLE, INCLUDED IN THE PDF.

If individual pieces of work are not by-lined, confirmation of authorship from the editor or commissioning source should also be included in the PDF.

Collaborative entries: A portfolio of three pieces of work by more than one journalist may be submitted; each story must be by-lined by two or more writers and the names of at least two contributors must be common to no less than two stories.

Entry forms must have the details, including contacts, of the journalist whose work is being entered and not editorial assistant details. Editorial assistants can put in an entry on behalf of an editor/journalist but must include the journalist’s name, title he/she is writing for and details in full.

Please note all entries may be accompanied by an explanation, maximum 200 words for each piece of work, maximum 600 words for the entry. Only those categories marked with an asterisk require a statement and are mandatory.

All work submitted in each chosen category should relate to the category subject.

Work produced in Commercial Companies house journals/newsletters or websites are not eligible.

The judges’ decisions are final.

There is a single winner in each category.

Nominated journalists from whom the winner will be announced at the Awards Presentations should make every effort to attend, as the guest of the category host, or be represented.

All journalists that enter the awards will be invited to attend the Awards Presentation as a guest of the CIoJ.

No correspondence will be entered into on the judging process or the judge’s decisions.

Please upload the entry form and your three pieces of work as one single PDF.