The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the ONE Campaign, and the Elliott family are happy to announce a call for entries for the Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling.
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.
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.
Winners will be selected on the quality of their articles and the impact their work has had on communities.
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
The contest is 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.
A copy of the published story or broadcast clip must be submitted in English. Works in other languages must include English translations. Submissions are welcome 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.
A distinguished international jury including media leaders from the US, UK, and Africa will select the winners. All applicants will be notified of their status by the spring of 2024.
Application procedure and deadline
Applications can be completed through the online portal. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2024.
