Deadline: January 31, 2024
Applications are open for the Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling 2024. The award honors up-and-coming journalists in Africa who strive to strengthen people’s voices and illuminate the transformational change taking place on the continent.
The award entries must represent groundbreaking journalistic work published between December 1, 2022, and December 1, 2023. Winners will be selected on the quality of their piece and the impact their work has had in communities. They welcome excellent submissions in all media, especially those that demonstrate analytical skills in addition to outstanding writing ability.
About the Awards
The Award was established in honor of Michael Elliott, an outstanding editor, philanthropist, and former ICFJ director, whose life was a testament to the power of storytelling to bear witness to and improve the human condition. Elliott served as a distinguished editor at The Economist, Newsweek, and Time before becoming CEO of ONE. In 2016, he had spoken of his dream to establish an award that would bring together his belief in great journalism with his commitment to progress in Africa. This prestigious annual award honors emerging journalists in Africa who strive to strengthen people’s voices and illuminate the transformational change taking place on the continent.
Award
- The winners will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a personalized award certificate. The winners will have an extraordinary opportunity to spend two weeks at The Economist headquarters in London.
Eligibility
- Open to English-speaking journalists working in Africa for print, broadcast, and online news media. Applicants must have no more than 10 years of journalism experience.
- Applicants must submit one published piece that exemplifies Africa through thoughtful reporting and excellent storytelling. They are looking for impactful investigative or explanatory pieces, especially those that illuminate transformational change in Africa.
- A copy of the published story or broadcast clip must be submitted in English. Works in other languages must include English translations. They welcome submissions from print, broadcast, or digital journalists. Multimedia submissions may include web, audio, video, visual, or mixed media.
- The submitted story must be published between December 1, 2022, and December 1, 2023.
Application
A distinguished international jury including media leaders from the US, UK, and Africa will select the winners. They will reach out to all applicants to notify them of their status by the spring of 2024.
For more information, visit Michael Elliott Award.
