ICFJ/ONE/Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling 2025 for African Journalists

Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling. The contest is named after late British journalist and longtime ICFJ board member Michael Elliott.

Application Deadline: 12th January 2025 at 11:59pm EST

Eligible Countries: African countries

About the ICFJ/ONE/Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling: 

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. 

In a special study tour organized by ICFJ, past winners have spent time in U.S. newsrooms in Washington, D.C., and New York City to learn new skills and share knowledge. In 2019, the winner also completed a two-week internship at The Economist’s headquarters in London, United Kingdom.

Past award winners include Mercy Juma, Dorcas Wangira, and Linda Ngari from Kenya; Kiki Mordi, Abubakar Ibrahim, Zainab Bala, Adekunle Adebajo, and Kemi Busari from Nigeria; Farai Shawn Matiashe from Zimbabwe; Khalid Bencherif from Morocco; Nalova Akua from Cameroon; and Bernadette Vivuya from the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Type: Contest

Eligibility: 

• The ICFJ/ONE/Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling 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. We 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. We welcome submissions from print, broadcast or digital journalists. Multimedia submissions may include web, audio, video, visual or mixed media.
• The submitted story must have been published between December 1, 2023, and December 1, 2024.

A distinguished international jury including media leaders from the US, UK, and Africa will select the winners.

Selection Criteria: Winners will be selected on the quality of their articles and the impact their work has had on communities. We welcome excellent submissions in all media, especially those that demonstrate analytical skills in addition to outstanding writing ability.

Number of Awards: 2

Value of ICFJ/ONE/Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling: 

The winners will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a personalized award certificate. The winners will have an extraordinary opportunity to participate in a two-week professional development program at The Economist headquarters in London, UK.

How to Apply: The application form for the 2025 cycle is available here. The deadline for applications is January 12, 2025.

Visit the Program Webpage for Details