Prestigious awards celebrate excellence in human rights journalism 

Closing date for entries is Friday 30 January 2026 

There will be no deadline extensions for submissions this year 

Enter the awards here: https://amnesty-media-awards.org.uk/ 

Entries for Amnesty International UK’s 34th annual Media Awards close at the end of this week. The awards recognise the vital role journalists play and the serious risks they face in highlighting human rights abuses around the world. 

The closing date for entries Friday 30 January 2026, and there will be no deadline extension this year. 

The awards ceremony will take place at London’s BFI Southbank on Wednesday 6 May and will be hosted by comedian Jen Brister.  

Confirmed judges include Channel 4’s Ayshah Tull, Sky News’ Alex Crawford, the Guardian’s Sirin Kale and the BBC’s Fergal Keane. 

Categories 

Entries must be from a media outlet based in the UK, or an international outlet with a UK bureau, and published or broadcast for the first time in the UK between 1 January and 31 December 2025. 

• Written News : A single written-word, short-form news report on a current and/or breaking story relating to a human rights issue. This can be print, online or multimedia.  
• Broadcast News: A single film news report on a current and/or breaking story relating to a human rights issue. This can be TV or online. The entry should be no longer than 20 minutes.  
• Written Feature: A single written-word long-form newspaper, magazine, online or multimedia piece that creatively explores human rights issues.  
• Broadcast Feature: A single broadcast news report or documentary that observes or reports on human rights issues. This can be TV or online. The entry should be between 15 and 90 minutes long.  
• Written Investigation: An outstanding piece of investigative written-word long-form journalism relating to human rights issues. This can be a single report or up to three items covering the same story. This can be a newspaper, magazine, online or multimedia piece.  
• Broadcast Investigation: An outstanding piece of investigative broadcast journalism relating to human rights issues. This can be a single report or a number of items covering the same story. This can be TV or online. The whole entry (including compilations) should be between 15 and 90 minutes long.  
• Radio & Podcasts: This can be either excerpts from a series, a full-length radio documentary or podcast, a news report or compilations from a magazine programme which observe and report on human rights issues. The whole entry (including compilations) should be between 15 and 60 minutes duration. These must have been broadcast or available online.  
• Photojournalism: A single photograph or a series of up to 12 photographs covering a human rights issue. These must have been published by a UK media outlet (newspaper, magazine or online). Only the entered piece will be judged, but overall impact will be considered if published elsewhere in the UK and submitted as supporting material. This category is free to enter.  
• Nations & Regions: This category is open to any UK regional media outlet and can be print, online or broadcast. This should be a single piece but links to two additional pieces may be included in the synopsis as supporting material. Entries may cover global or regional human rights issues. This category is free to enter.  
• The Gaby Rado Award for New Journalist: Open to journalists who have been working for five years or less in paid employment as a journalist at the time of publication or broadcast of their entry. Journalists should enter one piece in which they are the lead journalist. This can be broadcast, print, radio or online. This award was established with the help of the family, friends and colleagues of the journalist Gaby Rado, who died in Iraq in 2003. Finalists will be asked for evidence of their eligibility. This category is free to enter.  

Entries and fees 

For more information on how to enter, the entry criteria and fees, visit: https://amnesty-media-awards.org.uk/   

Multiple entries discount: A discount of 20% will automatically be applied to the entry fees of your second and subsequent submissions.  

The Nations and Regions, Photojournalism and Gaby Rado categories are free to enter 

For more information on how to enter as well as previous finalists and winners, please visit https://amnesty-media-awards.org.uk/.