The Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF) has announced an extension for submissions to its highly anticipated 2025 Journalist of the Year Award.
Journalists from every corner of Africa now have a renewed opportunity to showcase their work, with the deadline pushed to October 12, 2025.
This decision, articulated in a statement by the Foundation’s Executive Director, Sekyen Dadik, is strategically designed to cast a wider net, ensuring that more storytellers have the chance to participate in a competition dedicated to honoring compelling, development-focused journalism that shapes the African narrative.
The award stands as a beacon for both professional and freelance journalists who have produced work that not only highlights critical issues affecting the continent but also exemplifies the highest standards of the craft.
To be eligible, entries must have been first published or broadcast between September 1, 2024, and August 31, 2025, in an African or Africa-focused media outlet. The competition is structured across five pivotal categories—Television, Radio, Photography, Online, and Print—ensuring that impactful storytelling, regardless of its medium, receives the recognition it deserves.
The submission process is meticulously designed to be comprehensive yet accessible, requiring entrants to provide digital links or copies of their work, a current CV, a passport photograph, and a compelling 400-word cover statement detailing the story’s background and the journalist’s reporting journey.
A panel of esteemed judges, renowned for their expertise in journalism and media development, will undertake the rigorous task of reviewing all entries. This panel holds the authority to disqualify any work where questions of authenticity or professional ethics arise, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the award.
The culmination of this process will be a celebratory announcement at the Africa Conference on Development Journalism (ACDJ 2025), scheduled for December 3rd and 4th, 2025, in Kaduna, Nigeria, where the winner and runner-up will be unveiled.
By extending this deadline, the AMDF reaffirms its foundational mission: to strengthen the media’s indispensable role in driving sustainable development and fostering an informed, empowered society across Africa.
