Rules of entry
Category awards are open to:
- Students who are studying (or have studied) an NCTJ-accredited course or NCTJ distance learning programme in the 2019-20 academic year. The work submitted must be produced between 1 September 2019 and 31 October 2020 (coursework or work experience).
- Trainees who have completed the Diploma in Journalism, with less than two years’ employment. The work submitted must be produced between 1 September 2019 and 31 October 2020.
- Apprentices who are completing (or have completed) the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism during the 2019-20 academic year. The work submitted must be produced between 1 September 2019 and 31 October 2020.
Students, trainees and apprentices can submit one application per award category. The same piece of work may not be submitted more than once.
To enter the Community News Project award, you must be a community reporter recruited as part of the Community News Project.
All award entries should be produced by one person and not be a joint enterprise, with the exception of the Student Project of the Year and Podcast Journalism categories.
If you have been sanctioned for malpractice by the NCTJ your entry will be disqualified.
The NCTJ reserves the right to use information contained in the winning entries (except for personal data) for subsequent publicity, promotions and other activities relating to the Awards for Excellence.
Applications for 2020 are now open until Friday, 13 November 2020.