NCTJ Awards for Excellence 2024 open for entries
The NCTJ Awards for Excellence are now open for entries from students, trainee and apprentice journalists across the UK.
The NCTJ Awards for Excellence are now open for entries from students, trainee and apprentice journalists across the UK.
Free to enter, the annual awards recognise the achievements of talented individuals with promising journalism careers ahead of them.
New for this year is a category for videojournalism, which will recognise entries that demonstrate creativity, are engaging and make the most of the medium of video.
Other awards categories are:
- News journalism
- Sports journalism
- Top scoop
- Features
- Podcast journalism
- Data journalism
All shortlisted entrants will be invited to the awards ceremony, which will take place in early 2025.
You can enter as a student if:
- You are studying (or have studied) on an NCTJ-accredited course in the 2023-24 academic year
and/or
- You are studying towards the Diploma in Journalism as a distance learner, having started the course no more than two years ago, and are not a working journalist
You can enter as a trainee if:
- You have completed the Diploma in Journalism and have less than two years’ employment
and/or
- You are completing (or have completed) an NCTJ journalism apprenticeship during the 2023-24 academic year
and/or
- You are studying towards the Diploma in Journalism as a distance learner, having started the course no more than two years ago, and are a working journalist with less than two years’ employment
NCTJ-accredited course providers are also encouraged to nominate the best student projects from the 2023-24 academic year.
Performance awards will also be presented to the best performing student, trainee and apprentice journalists based on exam results. This year, the apprentice of the year category will be split into level 5 and level 7 awards, to differentiate between entrants at different stages of their careers.
Specialist award categories include the innovation of the year award, which recognises innovation in journalism education and training, as well as the equality diversity and inclusion awards. These awards recognise the outstanding work of individuals and organisations that promote equality, diversity and inclusion in the media and training sector.
Fran Yeoman (left) from Liverpool John Moores University accepting the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion award 2023. Photo: Josh Caius
Winners in the Awards for Excellence 2023 included Liverpool John Moores University, which received the organisation award for equality, diversity and inclusion sponsored by the Financial Times. Its equality and diversity work includes creating a Diversity Reporting Guide and planning a diversity in journalism teaching symposium.
Former community news reporter Megan Howe, now a news reporter at MailOnline, was named trainee of the year in the 2023 awards. She achieved the highest marks out of all the journalists who completed the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ) during the 2022-23 academic year.
Nominations are also encouraged for the NCTJ’s chairman’s award, which recognises an individual’s outstanding contribution to high standards of journalism training.
Last year’s chairman’s award was presented to Paul Wiltshire, who leads the NCTJ-accredited journalism course at the University of Gloucestershire. Paul was praised for “nurturing the careers of all those under his watch” over almost three decades as a journalist and news editor.
The deadline for entries is Friday, 1 November at 5pm. Click here to find out more and enter.
