First wave of judges announced for Amnesty UK’s annual Media Awards

Closing date for entries is Friday 31 January 2025

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

Amnesty International UK has announced the first round of judges for its 33rd annual Media Awards, with the ceremony host and full line-up of judges set to be announced later in January.

The prestigious set of awards recognise the vital role journalists play and the serious risks they face in highlighting human rights abuses around the world and holding power to account.

Confirmed judges include  Ayshah Tull (Channel 4), Stuart Ramsay (Sky News), Thaslima Begum (The Guardian), Andy Bell (Channel 5), Catherine Philp (The Times), Sangita Myska (freelance) and Tracy McVeigh (The Observer).

The closing date for entries is Friday 31st January 2025 with the awards ceremony taking place at the BFI Southbank on Wednesday 4th June 2025.

Entries must be from a media outlet based in the UK and published or broadcast for the first time in the UK between 1 January and 31 December 2024 and can be submitted at: https://amnesty-media-awards.org.uk/

A list of previous winners can be found here. A list of the categories and confirmed judges can be found below.

Full list of confirmed judges

Ayshah Tull (Channel 4), Thaslima Begum (The Guardian), Andy Bell (Channel 5), James Besanville (Metro), Rozina Breen (TBIJ), Tessa Chapman (Channel 5), Antonia Cundy (Financial Times), David Dick (Daily Record), Johnny Goldsmith (Daily Mirror) Sarah Lester (Manchester Evening News), Katie Mark (TBIJ), Tracy McVeigh (The Observer), Sangita Myska (freelance), Claire Newell (Daily Telegraph), Catherine Philp (The Times), Sam Poling (BBC), India Pollock (BBC), Joanna Potts (Channel 4), Joanna Ruck (The Guardian), Stuart Ramsay (Sky News), Anna Stevens (Panos Pictures), Ollie Stone Lee (BBC Radio 4),

Categories

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 (TV): 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 15 minutes.

Written Feature: A 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 – 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. Entries may cover global or regional human rights issues. This category is free to enter.

The Gaby Rado Award for New Journalist: This category is open to journalists who have been working for five years or less in paid employment as a journalist. Journalists should enter one piece in either 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/

To encourage a wide range of entries, we have established a sponsorship fund to support a limited number of entries from freelance journalists and filmmakers, as well as small digital and broadcast outlets. See the website for more details.

Entries to Regional Media, Photojournalism and Gaby Rado categories are free.