The Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling

Deadline: 30 January 2022

The Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling, a collaboration between the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the ONE Campaign, and the Elliott family, honors up-and-coming journalists in Africa who strives to strengthen people’s voices and illuminate the transformational change taking place on the continent.

Thanks to the award’s many donors and the generous support of The Economist, ICFJ is pleased to honor two award winners in 2022 who published groundbreaking journalistic work between December 1, 2020 and December 1, 2021. Entries will be selected on the quality of the piece and the impact their work has had in communities. We welcome excellent submissions in all media, especially those that demonstrate analytical skills in addition to outstanding writing ability. We especially encourage the stories that highlight the transformational change in Africa.

The winners will receive a cash prize, a $1,000 reporting grant, and a personalized crystal award. One of the winners will complete a two-week internship at The Economist’s headquarters in London, United Kingdom. Another winner will spend time in U.S. newsrooms in Washington, D.C., and New York City.

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. 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 be published between December 1, 2020, and December 1, 2021. 

A distinguished international jury including media leaders from the US, UK, and Africa will select the winners. We will reach out to all applicants to notify them of their status by the spring of 2022.

Applications for the 2022 cycle are open! Please apply until January 30, 2022. You can apply here.