All Hear December 2025

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Hello! Welcome (back) to All Hear, the Everything List for Audio Opportunities.

This month I feel particularly excited by the $25,000 Artists & Mothers Grant, covering childcare expenses for New York City-based artists with children under three. It’s also lovely to see the Radiophrenia Open Call for sound and transmission artworks back again, as well as competitions like Sonic Dash, where you’re given a 48-hour competition to create a 2-minute audio piece from scratch, and the The NPR College Podcast Challenge for U.S. based college students to make an original short audio piece with a $5000 prize.

Also, I’m looking for funny audio pieces for my next In The Dark listening event next month. I would love to hear suggestions! It could be chatcasts, radio sketch shows, audio documentaries — truly anything funny that is in audio form.

All Hear is free and always will be. If you want to show your support, donate to Transom, which helps keep this resource-intensive work sustainable. Transom currently has a $10,000 match for the year-end giving season. Every gift fuels scholarships, teaching stipends, and the ongoing care of All Hear and our (always free) archive.

Talia x

I am leaving my position as lead London curator for In The Dark, where I’ve produced listening events for the past three years. A lot of people ask me for advice on curating their own events, so I’ve compiled some general tips I’ve learned over the years in a Spotlight.

P.S. My last In The Dark listening events will be in London (Thursday January 15th) and Bristol (Sunday January 18th), on the theme of audio humour.

More Opportunities

International

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Open Call - a callout for submissions to imagineNATIVE, an Indigenous film and media arts festival. The callout is open to Indigenous artists at all levels of experience. The festival will take place in person from 2nd - 7th June, 2026, showcasing Indigenous-made film, video, digital, interactive and audio media works. They are committed to an audience’s greater understanding of Indigenous peoples, cultures, and artistic expressions. Works are therefore not required to have overt Indigenous content or themes, and can be productions made at all budget levels. They strive to represent a variety of ideas, themes, and genres, in addition to a diversity of Indigenous languages, Nations, and cultures. For the regular submission period, there is a CAD $5 submission fee, but it increases to CAD $15 during the late submission period.

The regular deadline is 19th December, and the late submission deadline is 9th January 2026.

A Very Global Christmas - an international call-out to participate in A Very Global Christmas, a broadcast by BBC Radio 4. Participants can send a voice note in English describing their Christmas Day 2025. Specific prompts and guidelines are listed in the open call. Participants can send their voice notes via WhatsApp to +44 3700 100 444 with the word ‘CHRISTMAS’ to be included in the programme.

The deadline is 25th December.

The Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program - a federally funded, 5-month international exchange programme for mid-career democracy activists, scholars, civil society leaders, and journalists to explore new ideas, undertake individual research, and share best practices. Applicants must possess a doctorate (a Ph.D. or academic equivalent) and be proficient in English. Fellows will spend five months in residence at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C., in order to undertake independent research on democracy in a particular country or region, focusing on the political, social, economic, legal, or cultural aspects of democratic development. The fellowship will involve seminars, roundtables, field trips, and other events. Each fellow receives a monthly stipend (unspecified) for living expenses, plus basic health insurance and round trip travel to and from Washington, D.C. One of the recent fellows was a radio journalist.

The deadline is 31st December.

Content is Queen Micro-grants for Podcasters - micro-grants of up to £1000 which help 20 international podcasters develop trailers, original pilots, or special episodes within their existing series. The January 2026 theme is Global Impact. Content is Queen will also offer production support. Successful applicants will have access to their studios, producers and editors, and Epidemic Sound library. Creators will have the opportunity to pitch their show to Audible for commissioning and further development. New or existing podcasters are welcome to apply. Registered commercial businesses or organisations with over ten employees or turnover greater than £50,000 cannot apply, nor can schools or charities. Applicants will need to commit to completing their project within 12 weeks of the first instalment of their grants. Regarding intellectual property, Content is Queen will not own any part of the developed podcast, but applicants must list them in any credits. You can read my Spotlight here.

The next deadline is 31st December.

International Women’s Podcast Festival Global Voices Application (Online) - a call for international workshop facilitators and panellists for Global Voices, the digital strand of the International Women’s Podcast Festival, for speakers who cannot deliver in-person talks. Workshop facilitators will run 45 - 60 minute sessions that offer a unique regional or cultural lens on audio creation, and will receive £250. Ideal workshops will cover topics such as production techniques or tools, storytelling approaches, platform strategies and commercialisation and growth strategies. Applicants may also propose a curated panel or solo speaker topic on themes such as industry insights from particular countries or regions, creator business models in non-Western markets, cross-cultural collaborations and emerging trends in different parts of the world. Panel moderators and curators will receive £200 and panellists will receive £100. All Global voices sessions (workshops and panels) will be recorded or streamed digitally.

The deadline is 31st December.

International Women’s Podcast Festival Call for Speaker Applications (In-Person) - the International Women’s Podcast Festival is looking for international talented women from all areas of podcasting who will deliver interesting in-person workshops and panels, both practical and inspirational. All speakers are paid on a set scale based on the type of session they are running: panellists receive £150, panel moderators receive £175 and workshop leads receive £250. The festival is on 5th March 2026. All participants must be present in person, and the festival is unable to cover international travel for speakers.

The deadline is 31st December, 9 pm GMT.

Helsinki International Artist Programme Residencies - two parallel residency programs for Palestinian and Finland-based artists working in contemporary practices. There are two distinct open calls:

Palestinian Artists in Helsinki - a 3-month residency for emerging and established Palestinian artists in Helsinki in Spring 2026. Artists will receive a working grant of €3000, accommodation, work space and travel to and from the residency. The focus of the programme is to focus on artistic research and engage in dialogue with the local art scene, and there is no requirement to produce new work or an exhibition.

Finland-Based Artists in Ramallah - a 2-month residency for Finland-based artists in Ramallah, Palestine, from April to June 2026. Residents will receive an artist fee of €2500; accommodation; studio space; health insurance; material costs for a lecture, workshop or final presentation; and travel to and from the residency. The programme is intended to give participating artists the chance to explore, experience and reflect upon the conditions of a city living under occupation.

The deadline is 1st January, 3 pm GMT.

Mudhouse Residency Full Fellowship - a 2-week residency in Crete, Greece, for international artists of all disciplines. The fellowship covers accommodations, studio space and two meals a day at no cost to the artist. Travel costs, additional groceries, art supplies or excursions outside of the host village are not included. NOTE: sound artists should plan to bring their own speakers and AV equipment as needed.

The deadline is 1st January.

University of Ohio Graduate Study in Journalism - a fully funded M.Sc. in Journalism from the University of Ohio. Students can tailor their plan of study from a range of classes, which include podcasting and radio. Entry-level journalists as well as mid-career professionals are welcome to apply. Students accepted into the programme compete for two years of tuition waivers and a stipend of $10,000 per year. Applications will be accepted through the whole year, but they have a suggested deadline for those applying for admission to the Fall 2026-27 semester. I believe it’s for international applicants.

The suggested deadline is 1st January.

James B. Steele Fellowship in Investigative Business Journalism - a degree in communications or journalism at Arizona State University (ASU) for international early-career journalists looking to gain experience in business journalism. Fellows will develop the investigative skills and business savvy they need to protect and inform their readers. They offer: tuition for all three semesters of the Cronkite Master’s programme; a biweekly stipend (unspecified) for the academic year; placement in a funded summer internship at a major U.S. or international media organisation; and health insurance. Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a regionally accredited institution and must commit to working 20 hours / week for the Reynolds Center.

The application deadline for the Steele Fellowship is 1st January.

The Arthur and Lila Weinberg Artist-in-Residence Fellowship for Independent Researchers - a 1-month fellowship for international writers, journalists, filmmakers, visual and performing artists, and other humanists working outside of traditional academic settings who would benefit from using the Newberry Library’s collections to further their creative work. Preference is given to those engaged in projects centred around social justice or reform. Successful applicants receive a $3000 stipend. The Newberry sponsors international scholars under the J-1 visa.

The deadline is 3rd January, 11:59 pm CT.

The Watermill Center Artist Residency - a 2- to 4-week residency for international artists working in any discipline in Southampton, New York. Artists are responsible for living expenses, travel costs and any production expenses, although the Watermill Center will provide a modest stipend (unspecified) to offset these costs. Residents will receive local transportation, housing and a workspace. The residency is process-based, without the expectation or promise of a final exhibition of work, although artists are required to participate in open rehearsals, workshops, studio visits, lectures or artist talks with the general public. Applicants must be 21+, and working knowledge of English is suggested. There is a $12 application fee.

The deadline is 4th January.

Sonic Dash - a 48-hour competition to create a 2-minute audio piece entirely from scratch. The contest starts on 9th January at noon ET and ends at the same time on 11th January. The first prize winner will receive $1000, a certificate for $350 worth of audio services from Silver Sound, various types of sound production equipment and will be featured on The Silver Podcast Network. Every element of the piece must be made within those 48 hours, which means that the use of archival material and pre-existing music is not allowed. Entry cost is $25.

The deadline is 4th January, 12 pm EST.

Arts, Societies and Contemporary Change Residency (France) - a 6-month residency along the Loire River in France for professional artists from the Global South (with the exception of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and Guyana) with at least five years of professional experience, who can demonstrate the dissemination and exhibition of their work. Residents will receive a monthly stipend of €2000, as well as access to office space, housing, insurance, and up to €2000 of production costs.The production of a work is not the primary aim of this residency; however, the artist is granted a limited budget to carry out a project.

The deadline is 4th January.

FASPE Journalism Program - an intensive, 2-week study programme for international students and early-career journalists interested in professional ethics and ethical leadership, conducted by Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE). Fellows spend two weeks in Berlin and Poland, where they visit key sites of Nazi history and participate in daily seminars led by specialised faculty. The programme is designed to challenge fellows to critically examine constructs and issues that raise ethical concerns in their professions in contemporary settings in which they work. This year’s programme will take place from 19th June - 3rd July 2026.

The deadline is 4th January, 11:59 pm ET.

Arts, Societies and Contemporary Change Residency (France) - a 6-month residency along the Loire River in France for professional artists from the Global South (with the exception of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and Guyana) with at least five years of professional experience, who can demonstrate the dissemination and exhibition of their work. Residents will receive a monthly stipend of €2000, as well as access to office space, housing, insurance, and up to €2000 of production costs. The production of a work is not the primary aim of this residency; however, the artist is granted a limited budget to carry out a project.

The deadline is 4th January.

Derek Ingram Press Fellowship - a 3-month residential programme at Wolfson College, Cambridge, for mid-career journalists from Commonwealth countries to research a project of their choosing under light academic supervision. Applicants can come from any medium, but the project needs to be relevant to one or more of the broad themes: the changing role of media in a networked world; improving the reporting of business, the environment, sustainable developmental medicine, bioscience and technology; the role of free media in democratic governance; and the implications of AI for journalism. The fellowship starts on 13th April, 2026 and ends in late June. The fellowship covers the fees, living, travel, visa and project-related expenses of the fellow from the moment they arrive until they depart. The fellow is provided with a room in the college, as well as full dining rights.

The deadline is 5th January.

Dundee Radio Call - an international call for sonic artworks, podcast-type conversations, interviews and radio storytelling. Audio works can be pre-existing or new. Selected submissions will take form at a listening festival in February as well as on the radio. There is no fee to apply, or that will be paid if selected.

The deadline is 5th January, 11:59 pm.

SPJ Mark of Excellence Award - an award honouring the best in international student journalism for anyone enrolled in a college or university in 2024 while studying for an academic degree. There are seven audio-specific categories, including Best All-Around Radio Newscast, Best Narrative Podcast and Radio Feature. Works must be published or broadcast (i.e. they cannot be unpublished projects for class). Students who have had full time professional journalism experience (outside of internships) at the time of publication or broadcast of the entered work are ineligible. Non-English entries should include an English translation. Early bird entries cost $30 (SPJ members) and $40 (non members) and regular deadline entries cost $35 (members) and $45 (non-members).

The early bird deadline is 6th January, 11:59 pm ET and the final deadline is 11th February, 11:59 pm ET.

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards - awards that recognise the best in international professional journalism across print, online, audio, television and more. Apart from Spanish-language categories, non-English entries must include an English transcript or subtitles. Early bird entries cost $65 (SPJ members) and $100 (non- members) and regular deadline entries cost $80 (members) and $115 (non-members).

The early bird deadline is 6th January, 11:59 pm ET.

EJN Forest Governance Story Grants - reporting grants for journalists to support the production of in-depth stories on forest governance issues. The grants are open to international applicants, but EJN is particularly interested in applications from journalists in Cameroon, Liberia, Ghana, Vietnam, and Indonesia reporting on country-specific issues. Journalists may work in any medium, including radio. Grantees will receive an average budget of £1500 to produce and publish a story before September 2026. Applications must be submitted in English, but stories can be produced in any language as long as they are accompanied by an English translation.

The deadline is 6th January, 11:59 pm Pacific/Niue.

The Tarbell Fellowship - a 1-year, full-time, remote-first programme for international journalists interested in covering artificial intelligence. Fellows receive a 9-month placement at a major newsroom, participate in a study group covering AI governance and technical fundamentals, and attend a weeklong journalism summit in San Francisco (travel and accommodation costs covered). The Tarbell Fellowship provides a stipend of up to $60,000 to $80,000 for early career fellows, and $90,000 to $110,000 for Senior Fellows (with five or more years of experience in journalism or AI).

The deadline is 7th January.

The George Polk Awards - awards for the groundbreaking, impactful work of reporters across all media and means of communication. International journalists from international organisations are welcome but all entries must be in English and works must have appeared in the U.S. Winners are chosen from newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and online news organisations. There is a monetary award (unspecified). The application fee costs $75.

The deadline is 8th January.

Prince Claus Fund Seed Award - €5000 funding for emerging artists and cultural practitioners who work in contexts where cultural expression is under pressure — see the eligible countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. The goal is to allow these artists to invest in developing their artistic and cultural practice on their own terms through socially and politically engaged work. Applicants should: be in early and exploratory stages of their career, with 1 to 5 years of professional experience; have established an innovative and interesting artistic or cultural practice that addresses pressing social/political issues that are important within their local context; have received little to no institutional recognition/support for their artistic/cultural practices.

The deadline is 8th January, 5 pm CET.

Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program - a 9.5-month programme for ten international journalists who specialise in science, health, technology, and environmental reporting. Fellows receive an $85,000 stipend, a travel and housing stipend (unspecified) and basic health insurance. Applicants must: be full-time journalists, whether staff or freelance, and have at least three consecutive years of experience covering the relevant beats. Successful applicants are expected to produce a well thought out research project during the academic year. Fellows will reside full time in the Boston or Cambridge area for the MIT academic year, which runs from mid-August to May. Radio and audio journalists are eligible.

The deadline is 9th January.

Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East - a 1-semester fellowship, hosted by the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT, designed to enrich the training of a journalist from Africa or the Middle East so they can contribute to a culture of high quality science and health journalism in those regions. Applicants must have at least three years’ experience reporting on science, health or environmental issues in the regions. They offer a $40,000 stipend; MIT health insurance; a housing and relocation stipend (unspecified); networking opportunities; and full access to MIT benefits such as subsidised public transportation, access to museums and other programmes in the area.

The deadline is 9th January.

NYC Podcast Awards - awards honoring international excellence in podcasting and audio storytelling. There are three different categories: Craft, recognising technical excellence and artistry in audio production; Creator, celebrating excellence from diverse voices and perspectives; and Content, honoring outstanding shows across genres and topics. Entry fees are $75 for currently enrolled students, $100 for independent producers and $150 for network-backed shows and production companies. Scholarships are available by application for creators who need financial support.

The deadline is 10th January.

Human-Nature: Alternative Narratives Creative Collaboration Grants - grants for artist teams working across disciplinary boundaries to tell stories of Human-Nature relationships in Malaysia and the U.K. Teams must be composed of at least one U.K. partner and one Malaysian partner. Selected applicants will receive a grant of £20,000 to support work responding to themes of human-nature relationships, climate and sustainability, community engagement, storytelling and collaborative practice. Supported projects should result in creative outputs that can be showcased or shared with physical and digital audiences.

The deadline is 11th January, 11:59 pm GMT.

National Center on Disability and Journalism Awards - free-to-enter international awards recognising excellence in journalism on topics related to disabilities. Journalists working in digital, print, audio, and broadcast media are eligible to enter both contests, but work must be in English. First-place winners in each category receive $2500 and an invitation to speak about their work at the awards ceremony this autumn in Arizona; second-place winners receive $1000; third-place winners receive $500. There is also a student award — the Gary Corcoran Student Prize for Excellence in Reporting on Disability — which offers $2500 for first place, $1500 for second and $1000 for third. Entrants must have been enrolled as a student at the time of publication or broadcast, and the work must have appeared on a campus or affiliated platform.

The deadline is 12th January, 11:59 PST.

Tribeca Audio - Tribeca Festival’s Audio Storytelling programme. The Festival will curate an Official Selection of international English-language podcasts and audio stories, with an emphasis on discovering, highlighting, and celebrating independent work. They are looking for narrative-driven audio storytelling across genres and formats — pilots, stand-alone pieces, sound-rich audiobooks, and unclassifiable audio are all welcome as long as they’re story-driven. Each selection will receive Tribeca laurels and be eligible to win a Tribeca Festival Award for Audio Storytelling. Independent creators will also be considered for the Tribeca Creators Market, a first-of-its-kind, daylong, private industry market that brings together leading storytellers to pitch new projects to a wide range of industry decision makers, including distributors, community groups, agencies, brands, and more. Official Selections are sorted into four categories: Independent Fiction, Independent Nonfiction, Fiction, and Nonfiction. Eligible projects must be between 3 - 75 minutes in length, and may take the form of the first episode of any narrative-driven podcast, one stand-alone audio piece, the first chapter of an audiobook, or the first episode of a narrative audio-visual podcast. Submissions must not have been made publicly prior to the Festival (i.e. they will premiere at Tribeca). Entries cost $20 early bird, $30 regular and $40 for the final deadline. Reach out to audiopremieres [at] tribecafilm [dot] com if you have any questions. You can read my Spotlight of Tribeca Audio Storytelling here.

The official deadline is 14th January, 6 pm ET, and the extended deadline is 11th February, 6 pm ET.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Fellowships - a 6-month opportunity in Berlin, Germany for international media professionals who are at significant risk due to their journalistic work. Applicants must have at least three years of professional experience. RSF covers visa and travel expenses, living accommodations, travel and health insurance, transportation costs, a co-working space in a Berlin media hub and a monthly stipend for living expenses (unspecified). The fellowships provide a protected space in which the selected candidates can take time off from daily obligations and learn new skills to better protect themselves. Fellows will participate in workshops, peer-to-peer exchanges, a comprehensive digital security training programme and networking opportunities with German media professionals and newsrooms. They also offer holistic support for individual psychosocial needs. Fellows are expected to spend up to 20 - 25 hours per week on programme activities, and the fellowship will take place from June - November 2026.

The deadline is 15th January.

Monson Arts Residency - a 2- to 4-week residency in Monson, at the edge of Maine’s North Woods. The residency is open to international artists at any stage of their career, working in any discipline (including audio). Residents receive a private studio, a private bedroom in shared housing, all meals and a $250 or $500 stipend, depending on the length of the residency.

The next deadline is 15th January.

Rest & Resilience Fellowship - a 6-month residential fellowship in Berlin, Germany, for two journalists from countries with restricted freedom of press and information. The planned fellowship period is 1st May - 31st October 2026. During their stay, media professionals take time off from their daily obligations to recover from their difficult working conditions and to expand their personal and professional horizons. If they wish, participants can withdraw completely from public life, but the fellowships will offer different workshops for further training and networking purposes and participation is strongly encouraged. They cover: visa and travel costs, accommodation in Berlin, travel and health insurance, psychological support, language classes, workshops and training opportunities. They also provide a monthly stipend (unspecified). Applicants must have: several years of work experience as a professional journalist; proficient English; a passport that is valid for at least twelve months; and a personal threat profile due to journalistic work or difficult working conditions caused by external factors.

The deadline is 15th January, 11:59 pm CET.

Logan Science Journalism Program - a 10-day programme allowing international science journalists to forget about story deadlines and immerse themselves in basic biomedical or environmental research. Applicants must have at least five years’ experience. Room, board, course fees, and travel costs are covered. Fellows conduct research training at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where they can choose between biomedical or environmental hands-on research courses. Writers, editors, and broadcast journalists are welcome to apply.

The deadline is 15th January.

Alfred Friendly Press Partners Fellowship Program - a 4-week, in-person programme focused on foreign journalists who are living in exile in the United States. The programme offers a living stipend of $2000, as well as essential expenses (i.e. housing, food, transportation). Selected participants will participate in a training aimed at building skills and resilience in the following areas: Security, Legal, Journalism and Entrepreneurship. English proficiency is required.

The deadline is 15th January.

Open Call for DIY Field Recording Practices - an international call-out for DIY environmental field recording practices. The organisers are conducting a pre-survey for a future book project to identify practices and people with whom they may conduct a more in-depth conversation or meeting. They are looking for photographs of DIY recording equipment, a description of how to build and/or use it and a sound file or description of sound recorded with it.

The deadline is 15th January.

Folger Shakespeare Library Artistic Research Fellowships - fellowships for artistic research projects with the Folger Shakespeare Library. The fellowship is open to international applicants across a range of disciplines and areas of study, as long as the proposed project would benefit from primary research related to the histories, concepts, art, and objects of the early modern world. Past fellows have included sonic artists and journalists. Applicants may apply for one, two, or three months of research support and have the option to conduct their fellowships fully onsite in Washington D.C., fully virtual or a combination of the two. Fellows receive $4000 for virtual months and $5000 for onsite months, as well as full access to Folger’s physical and digital collections, consultations with researcher services and networking opportunities. Folger is also able to sponsor J1 Visas for international applicants.

The deadline is 15th January.

EJN Story Grants on Fisheries Transparency - grants of $1500 to support stories that will call attention to issues related to fisheries transparency. Applications are open to journalists from any coastal country working in any medium, including radio. Selected journalists will also receive support from experienced mentors throughout the story production process. Applications must be submitted in English.

The deadline is 15th January, 11:59 pm Pacific/Niue.

Ucross Residency - a 2- to 6-week residency for international artists in Sheridan, Wyoming. Residents receive a stipend of $1500 and are provided with accommodations, meals, and work space, but are responsible for covering working materials and travel to Wyoming. There is a category for Music/Sound, as well as an Interdisciplinary category. Both established and emerging artists are welcome to apply, although applicants should be able to exhibit professional standing in their field. Residencies will take place between August and December 2026. There is a $40 application fee.

The next deadline is 15th January, 11:59 pm MT.

Roman J. Witt Residency Program - a residency at the University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design for international artists or designers. Residents will receive an honorarium of $20,000 for up to twelve weeks in residence, as well as a stipend of $10,000 for materials and development funding, housing, and studio space. Throughout the residency, participants are expected to create new work and actively engage with university students and faculty in the Stamps and U.M. Institute for the Humanities (IH) communities. This can take the form of student critique, public talks or lectures, open studio hours and dialoguing with students and faculty in and out of classes. The residency will culminate in the realization and presentation of the proposed work in the IH Gallery, with possibilities for additional programming beyond the gallery space.

The deadline is 15th January.

International Journalism Programmes - 6- to 8-week exchange programmes which enable German and international journalists to travel to each other’s countries and report within host organisations. Each delegate will receive a stipend which is intended to cover most of their travel expenses, meals and accommodation, and varies depending on the programme. Age ranges may apply. All candidates must have a strong command of English. Radio journalists are welcome to apply, and applicants can be staff or freelance, unless otherwise specified.

International Journalism Programme (IJP) initiatives with upcoming deadlines are:

Southern Africa - for journalists aged 25 to 40 from Germany and Southern Africa (SADC member states + Kenya) to work as correspondents in local newsrooms, while simultaneously producing content for their home newsroom. The delegates receive a €3500 stipend. The Southern Africa scholarship will begin in July and August, and Germany scholarship recipients will begin in August or later.

The deadline is 15th January.

Northern Europe + Germany - for journalists aged 18 to 45 from Germany and Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden to work as correspondents in local newsrooms. The delegates receive a €3800 stipend. Language skills in German are not a prerequisite for applications from Northern Europe; a working knowledge of English is expected.

The deadline is 15th January.

Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism - awards honouring the best international health reporting in print, broadcast, and online media. First-place winners receive $500 and a framed certificate, as well as complimentary lodging for two nights and registration for the Association of Health Care Journalism’s annual conference, where winners will be recognised. They have an Audio Reporting category, as well as others that allow for audio submission. They also have a Student Reporting category. Non-English entries are allowed but they must include an English translation and a letter from the news outlet certifying the translation’s accuracy. Entries cost between $15 and $75 depending on various factors.

The early bird deadline is 16th January, 5 pm ET and the regular deadline is 20th February, 5 pm ET.

U.K. International Radio Drama Festival - free-to-enter awards for international audio. Despite the name, work submitted does not have to be a radio drama; the curators are flexible on what constitutes an audio drama — it can be “anything from a radio play to a podcast,” and it “doesn’t need to be fiction.” They have two categories: Feature Length Drama (maximum 60 minutes) or Short Form Drama (maximum 7 minutes). You can submit up to two longform pieces and three short form. Full Length winners receive £2000, and Short Length receive £750. There is also a £750 Public Award prize for favourite show voted by the listeners (in person and online). Audio Dramas must be submitted in English. The 2026 Festival will take place in Canterbury from 30th March to 3rd April.

The deadline is 17th January.

Musée du quai Branly Jacques Chirac Sound Art Residency - a 5-month residency in France for sound artists who come from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. The winning artist will receive €8000 as well as housing and travel/material cost reimbursement. They are looking for work which fits with themes, collections and ideas of the museum, whose focus is non-European cultures.

The deadline is 18th January, 11:59 pm CET.

The American University in Cairo Kamal Adham Fellowship for Television and Digital Journalism - a fellowship for international journalists who wish to pursue full-time study towards a one and a half year master’s degree in television and digital journalism at The American University in Cairo (AUC). Applicants must have financial needs and a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent. Preference is given to graduates of Egyptian public universities and professionals in the broadcasting industry. The fellowship covers: partial tuition fees for a maximum of eight credits per semester; student services and activities fees; medical service and health insurance fees; and it may cover prerequisite courses and one semester of intensive English language courses as needed. Fellows are assigned up to 20 hours per week of related academic or technical work and expected to conduct a teaching assistantship if the course requires.

The next deadline is 20th January.

Edward R. Murrow Awards - international journalism awards celebrating outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism. There are also student awards. For radio categories it costs between $100 and $280 depending on membership status, size of the network and timing of deadline. For students it is $40 per entry (or $20 for members). Non-English works are accepted provided they have subtitles.

The early bird deadline is 20th January, 5 pm ET and the regular deadline is 19th February, 5 pm ET.

The Gracies - international awards for or about women in television, radio and digital media. They have select categories for non-English programmes and creators, with English transcripts required. Entry costs between $260 and $325 depending on the deadline and whether applicants are national or local. There are scholarships available which waive the application fee, but you must apply before 9th January. They also have student awards in both the Radio and Digital Media sections, which cost $75, or $50 before the early deadline.

The regular deadline is 22nd January, 11:59 pm ET and the extended deadline is 30th January, 11:59 pm ET.

National Endowment for Democracy Grants - grants to support the projects of nongovernmental groups outside of the U.S. who are working to advance democratic goals and strengthen democratic institutions in more than 100 countries. They only fund nongovernmental organisations, which may include civic organisations, associations, independent media, and other similar organisations.

The next deadline is 26th January.

FIJ Funds - The Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) offers grants of up to $10,000 three/four times a year for investigative journalism. All journalists can apply, but most are freelancers. International reporters are accepted but there must be a “strong U.S. angle involving American citizens, government, or business” and all stories must be published in English in a U.S.based media outlet. There are many different types of grants offered, including seed funding and follow-up grants. In rare cases, they provide expedited review for proposals that you can prove are extremely urgent. Pitches for radio stories and podcasts are welcome.

The next deadline is 26th January.

FIJ Seed Grants - The Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) offers seed grants of up to $2500 to cover the expenses of preliminary investigative reporting such as open-records requests and initial reporting trips. The grants are primarily for freelance journalists and those who are not in full-time staff roles at a media outlet. Journalists must be U.S. based or working on a story with a very strong U.S. angle. Journalists who receive seed funding can apply for full grants (up to $10,000) once they conduct the preliminary reporting and secure a commitment from a media outlet to publish or broadcast the story. Pitches for radio stories and podcasts are welcome.

The next deadline is 29th January.

Villa Albertine Residency - a residency for creators, researchers and culture professionals with a project in the field of arts or ideas that requires an immersive stay in the United States. The residency is organised by an institution of the French Embassy in the United States, and its mission is to strengthen connections between the United States, France, and the wider French-speaking world through culture and education. The call is not limited to French or Francophone applicants alone, but all applicants must have the support of a French partner associated with the residency project. Selected residents will receive an allowance (unspecified) based on the city in which they are placed (i.e. $100 per diem in Washington, D.C.). Applicants may propose a residency anchored in a specific city or region in the U.S. or a traveling residency across multiple different cities and regions. The call is open to artists of all disciplines, including podcasts and other interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary projects, as long as applicants exhibit professional experience in their field. Project proposals should relate to contemporary global issues and the transatlantic relationship, and projects that may lead to lasting cooperation between France and the United States are especially encouraged. All applicants must be fluent in English and over 21 years old.

The deadline is 29th January.

The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Book and Journalism Awards - international awards which honour a free and fair press and celebrate media professionals whose work explores issues of human rights, social justice, and the power of individual action. There is a Radio and Podcast category, and the free-to-enter college and high school awards also accept all media. The professional category winners will receive $1000 and the student categories will receive $500. There is a $75 entry fee for all submissions except college and high school submissions.

The deadline is 30th January, 11:59 pm ET.

Sonic Arts Forum Call Out - an opportunity for international creative people, working with sound as a significant element in their practice, to introduce their work, and receive feedback in a supportive environment. They are seeking artists, musicians, technologists, and noise-makers working with live electronics, field recordings, fixed media, audio vision, installation, algorithmic composition and more. The Sonic Arts Forum 2026 will be held at De Montfort University in Leicester on 18th April. They cannot make any contribution to travel or accommodation expenses.

The deadline is 30th January.

Hillman Prize - a free-to-enter award honouring journalism that is in service of the common good. Applicants may be international, but work must have been widely accessible to a U.S. audience. Prize winners receive an honorarium of $5000. They specifically seek out investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustice and fosters meaningful public policy change. They have a Broadcast Journalism category for television, radio or podcasts; entries should be at least 20 minutes in total package length. They also offer the SEIU Award for Reporting on Racial and Economic Justice, which all Hillman Prize entries are automatically considered for.

The deadline is 30th January.

RNA Awards for Religion Reporting Excellence - a competition hosted by the Religion News Association, recognising religion journalism excellence. International entries are welcome, but applicants must be RNA members. Applicants who are new to RNA may request a complimentary one-year membership. There are two audio categories: News Reporting and Commentary and Conversation. Both categories carry an $80 entry fee.

The deadline is 31st January.

Columbia’s Knight-Bagehot Fellowship - a 9-month fellowship for reporters to study business and economics at Columbia Business School and Columbia Journalism School. They accept international applicants and usually have a couple of audio journalists in their ten-person cohort. Fellows receive full tuition, health insurance and stipend of $70,000. They take business courses for credit and some stay for a second year to complete their M.B.A degree or an M.A. in Journalism (the second year will not be covered). They meet weekly as a fellowship for seminars and dinners with business leaders and professors. Applicants must have four years’ reporting experience on a beat that involves money, which can include finance, real estate, government policy, or even health, climate and science. There is a $100 application fee.

The deadline is 31st January.

The Ferriss – UC Berkeley Psychedelic Journalism Fellowship - ten $10,000 reporting grants for international journalists reporting in-depth print and audio stories on the science, policy, business, and culture of psychedelics. Students are eligible as long as they have three work samples. International applicants are welcome to apply but stories must be in English and the programme cannot assist with visas.

The deadline is 31st January, 11:59 pm PT.

The New York Festivals Radio Awards - international awards for radio. They have 14 categories, including a student award for documentary, drama programme, and social justice content. Applications cost $320 for a single programme and $475 for a series. Their student awards are $100.

The deadline is 31st January.

Phantomnesis: Call for Recorded Pieces - an international callout for submissions of unpublished recordings that explore the forgotten, the near-forgotten, and the reimagined; works that bring neglected musical systems, regional practices, extinct gestures, or overlooked aesthetic pathways into today’s listening. Selected pieces will be professionally prepared for release published by CambiataArts Records as part of a compilation series. Artists whose works are chosen will also be invited to join the Cambiata Arts roster, receiving editorial support, promotional placement, and opportunities for future collaboration within their network. There is no entry fee, and no monetary honoraria. Artists retain full ownership of their works.

The deadline is 15th February.

United States

National Science-Health-Environment Reporting Fellowships - an opportunity for early-career, U.S. based journalists who are pursuing — or have a strong interest in pursuing — careers in science, health or environmental reporting. The curriculum will include lessons interpreting medical studies, analysing data, explaining evidence-based decisions, understanding climate science and more. The workshops will take place at three 4-day conferences in April, May and Fall 2026. They will also provide mentorship and networking opportunities. Applicants can be staff or freelance, and freelancers will be awarded a reporting project support stipend of $2000. Applicants must have at least two years of professional experience.

The deadline is 19th December, 5 pm CT.

AAJA VOICES Fellowship - multimedia journalism training for college and graduate students, as well as a leadership programme for young journalists. They are looking for students who are excellent storytellers and who are interested in new technologies and story forms, including podcasts. Students will learn the soft skills needed to succeed in school and work. The months-long training will begin in the spring and culminate at a convention in Minneapolis, MN, in late June. Applicants must be 18+.

The deadline is 19th December.

LA Reporting Collective Fellowship - a 9-month training programme for emerging Southern California-based journalists, documentarians and civic media makers. Fellows will be compensated with an $1800 stipend, committing an average of two to three hours a week over nine months from January to September 2026. The fellowship is designed for early-career applicants with full-time jobs or other constraints that make traditional journalism courses unrealistic, so the weekly commitments are flexible. Fellows will develop reporting skills across print, audio, and video; shadow working journalists; and produce a hyperlocal story with editorial support from LARC and local journalists. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

The deadline is 19th December, 5 pm PT.

Harvestworks Residency - a residency for U.S. based artists working at the intersection of art and technology at Harvestworks’ Technology Engineering, Art and Music Lab in New York City. Residents will receive a $5000 commission to produce a new work integrating technology, sound and visual art. Harvestworks will also provide studio space, technical assistance and opportunities for project feedback, mentorship and peer support. Residencies will run from January to December 2026, at which point all final works will be presented to the public through performances, presentations or exhibitions. Artworks may take the form of audio or video installations, live performances, data visualisations or other projects in the field of art and technology. Students, including Ph.D. candidates, are not eligible to apply.

The deadline is 20th December, 11:59 pm ET.

Women’s Audio Mission Internship Program (San Francisco) - a 13-week paid internship allowing women (transgender or cisgender) and non-binary/gender-expansive individuals in California’s Bay Area to learn audio engineering skills. Applicants will gain skills, build confidence and develop industry connections to prepare for a job in the audio industry; as well as receive hands-on studio training and learn how to share audio skills and knowledge to further support the organisation’s mission. The programme includes a commitment of a total of 16 hours per week, with both in-person and virtual components. The programme is recommended for those 21 years and older. Applicants receive a $2500 stipend once they have completed the programme.

The next deadline is 21st December.

Women’s Audio Mission Internship Program (LA) - an 8-week internship allowing women (transgender or cisgender) and non-binary/gender-expansive individuals in Southern California to learn audio engineering skills. Selected interns receive a $700 stipend once they have completed the programme. Applicants will gain skills, build confidence and develop industry connections to prepare for a job in the audio industry; as well as receive hands-on studio training and learn how to share audio skills and knowledge to further support the organisation’s mission. The programme includes a commitment of a total of 8 hours per week, with both in-person and virtual components. Applicants must have a minimum of 1 year of audio education or equivalent experience, and the programme is recommended for those 21 years and older.

The next deadline is 21st December.

AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellowship - a 10-week summer programme which places U.S. based science, engineering, and mathematics students at media organisations nationwide. Fellows work as journalists at media organisations such as National Public Radio, Los Angeles Times, WIRED, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and NOVA. Fellows collaborate with media professionals at radio and television stations, newspapers, and magazines. They are provided a stipend of $8000 for the summer as well as travel expenses to and from AAAS and their sites.

The deadline is 1st January.

Bronx Council on the Arts BRIO Award - a $5000 prize for individual Bronx-based artists who create works in the literary, media, visual, and performing arts, and demonstrate proficiency, knowledge, and intense practice in their chosen artform.

The deadline is 2nd January, 11:59 pm ET.

Arts Delaware Artist Opportunity Grant - financial support for unique professional and artistic development and presentation opportunities for Delaware-based artists. Examples of financed activities include: materials to complete work for a specific show or programme; the cost to rent a facility for a performance; study with a master for a specified period of time. Evaluation criteria include: anticipated impact on the artist’s work or career; financial feasibility and need; marketing plans; and uniqueness of the opportunity. Applicants can request up to 80% of the opportunity cost not to exceed $1000. Applicants must be: residents of Delaware for at least one year at the time of application; over the age of 18; and not enrolled in a degree-granting programme. They have quarterly deadlines.

The next deadline is 2nd January.

Artists & Mothers Grant - a grant of $25,000 for New York City-based artists with children under three to cover childcare expenses. Applicants must be working contemporary artists with at least five years of professional commitment to their practice, and they should identify as mothers at an inflection point in their careers.

The deadline is 2nd January.

Ida B. Wells Investigative Reporting Fellowship - four weeklong training sessions for professional journalists in Atlanta, Georgia, to sharpen their investigative reporting skills under the guidance of accomplished reporters and editors. Training weeks will be scattered throughout the year, roughly once a month from March through July. The fellowship is intended for journalists not presently assigned to investigative teams and must have three to five years of professional news reporting experience. During training, participants will work on projects they have proposed for publication in their respective newsrooms. Freelance journalists also are invited to apply, as long as they have a news organisation willing to write a supportive statement and agreement to publish their work. Applicants can be print, broadcast, online, and multimedia journalists.

The deadline is 3rd January, 11:59 pm ET.

Ida B. Wells Investigative Reporting Internship Programme (Summer) - paid full time 10- to 12-week placements for U.S. based college juniors, seniors, graduate students, and recent graduates to work at some of the nation’s top news organisations — including NPR. All internships are in-person and paid at the standard rate of the respective news organisation, but an additional stipend (unspecified) will be provided to help cover travel and housing costs. Applicants must be: no more than three years out of college; members of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting (becoming a member is free and open to all); and legally authorised to work in the U.S.

The deadline is 3rd January, 11:59 pm ET.

Emerging Artists Application - a grant for North Carolina artists within any creative discipline and at any career stage. Applicants must have resided in Chatham, Durham, Granville, Orange, or Person Counties for at least one year immediately prior to the application deadline. Artists can receive up to $1500. Applicants cannot be a student and must be 18+.

The deadline is 4th January, 11 pm ET.

Switzer Fellowship - a 1-year fellowship for U.S. graduate students from accredited New England and Californian institutions whose career goals focus on environmental improvement. The fellowship includes a $17,000 cash award, leadership training, and opportunities for professional development and grants throughout fellows’ careers. Fellows participate in two multi-day retreats during their fellowship year focused on cohort-building, networking, and equity-centered leadership and skills development. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, or a refugee or asylum seeker according to the definition provided by the United States Department of Homeland Security. Applicants must plan to be enrolled for the entire 2026-27 academic year.

The deadline is 5th January, 11:59 pm PT.

The Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting - a free-to-enter award honouring investigative reporting from U.S. news media that promotes more effective and ethical conduct of government, the making of public policy, or the practice of politics. The winner receives $25,000 and five finalists receive $10,000. While the subject can address issues of foreign policy, a submission qualifies only if it has an impact on public policy in the U.S. at the national, regional or local level. Newspapers, magazines, broadcast media, radio, podcasts, and online news organisations are eligible.

The deadline is 5th January, 11:59 pm ET.

Dinah Eng Leadership Fellowship - grants of up to $1000 for mid-career Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) members pursuing the strategies and skills needed to enter news management and advance within its ranks. The fellowship money can be used for registration fees, tuition and expenses such as transportation, meals and hotel stays. Entrants must: be a current, dues-paying AAJA member (membership costs $65); demonstrate leadership potential or currently hold a management position; have five years or more of professional experience; and have a serious interest in pursuing journalism as a career.

The next deadline is 6th January.

Miami-Dade County Artist Access Grant Program - an opportunity for professional artists in any medium or discipline residing in Miami-Dade County to pursue opportunities that will advance their practice and career in demonstrable ways. Eligible opportunities include artistic professional development and skill-building opportunities such as specialised workshops, artist residencies, technique classes with master artists, conferences, teaching artist training, arts leadership training and other non-credit artistic learning opportunities, whether in person or virtual. Applicants must demonstrate how the potential, timeliness, and impact of the opportunities will forward their careers. Project-oriented opportunities such as exhibits or performances are not eligible.

The next deadline is 6th January, 11:59 pm ET.

Verge Fellowship - an unrestricted $2000 stipend to artists within multiple disciplines from Cuyahoga County. The purpose is to celebrate and support artists at the introductory stages of their careers. Fellows will also be introduced to community partners who will help promote their work, provide mentorship, and offer other skills and networking opportunities. Applicants must be 15+ and currently reside in Cuyahoga County.

The deadline is 7th January.

What Can We Do? Artist Grant Application - funding for New York City based Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists addressing community care in creative ways. Each awardee will receive $1500. They support artists to create or develop an existing or new project that centers community building, healing, reflection, and joy, and not limited to being solely reactionary to moments of crisis or protest. All disciplines and stages of artistic exploration/developments, activism, community organising, educational practice, and thought leadership are welcome. The project must benefit communities in Chinatown, Manhattan; Flushing, Queens; and/or be a social justice project focused on the support of Palestinian creators and their communities within New York City. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.

The deadline is 8th January, 11:59 pm ET.

The Artist Subsidy Program - a program to help New York City based artists facing financial barriers in realizing their projects. They prioritize low-income artists with other marginalized identities, specifically Black, Indigenous, artists of color, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and refugee artists. They recognize barriers often stem from systems of oppression, which create significant obstacles for artists in participating in the arts. Artists can receive up to $10,000. Applicants cannot be students and must finish the project by 30th June.

The deadline is 8th January.

Newhouse School Toner Prizes - a recognition of the best U.S. national or local political reporting in any medium or on any platform — print, broadcast or online. They celebrate fact-based reporting that illuminates the electoral process, reveals the politics of policy and engages the public in democracy. There is the Toner Prize for Excellence in National Political Reporting and the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Political Reporting, each with a $5000 honorarium.

The deadline is 12th January, 11:59 pm ET.

Distillations Open Call - pitches are welcome for the Distillations podcast. They are looking for American science-related history stories that can fit into a 30- to 40-minute narrative episode. Compensation is $3500 and work can be remote.

The deadline is 12th January.

California Health Equity Fellowship - a fully-funded fellowship supporting U.S. based reporters pursuing ambitious projects on under-covered health and health equity issues in California. Applicants must have a minimum of three years of professional journalism experience. The fellowship includes a week of in-person training followed by five months of ongoing mentorship and virtual meetings. Fellows receive a $2000 - $10,000 grant to help with reporting costs. Freelancers are welcome to apply, but they must have a confirmed assignment with an outlet to be considered for acceptance. The fellowship is open to journalists from print, broadcast, and online media outlets throughout California, or national correspondents with a California- focused project.

The deadline is 14th January.

Wave Farm Media Arts Assistance Fund - financial support for new or recently completed artwork in all genres of sound art for applicants residing in New York State for public presentation that serves New York State audiences. Grant awards assist artists in completing new work, reaching public audiences, and advancing artistic exploration and public engagement in the media arts. Artists may apply for up to $7500. The project must have been completed in 2025 or will be completed in 2026. Funding can support individual artist-made experimental documentary works, though it cannot support non-fiction, feature-length, team-driven narrative documentary works. Full-time enrolled students are not eligible. They strongly encourage applicants to complete the application one week early.

The deadline is 15th January, 11:59 pm ET.

The Anthony Shadid Award for Journalism Ethics - a recognition of ethical decisions in reporting stories in any medium, including print, broadcast and digital, by U.S. based (I think) journalists working for established news organisations or publishing independently. Each news organisation can submit up to two nominations. The award includes a $5000 prize and travel expenses to accept the award and discuss the reporting at an awards ceremony held in Washington, D.C., on 9th April 2025.

The deadline is 15th January.

Kresge Artist Fellowships - a 1-year fellowship for Detroit emerging and established artists within a wide range of creative disciplines, including sound art, storytelling and interdisciplinary work. Fellows will receive $50,000, no-strings-attached awards. Applicants must be a current legal resident of Macomb, Oakland, or Wayne County for the two years prior to the award deadline. Fellows must remain residents in the tri-county area throughout the year-long fellowship period.

The deadline is 15th January.

Alonzo Davis Fellowship - a 2-week fully-funded fellowship for U.S. writers, visual artists, and composers of African or Latin American descent. A $500 honorarium is given, and the application costs $30 (if cost is prohibitive, applicants can email to request a fee waiver). Fellows will come to the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts’ Mt. San Angelo in Amherst, Virginia. VCCA Fellows can work in solitude, then re-energise in the company of other artists. The residencies available are from 1st September to the end of 2026.

The deadline is 15th January.

William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund - grants that promote local artists and their work, and provide cultural experiences which enhance residents’ lives in Baltimore, Maryland, and strengthen the region’s sense of cohesion and identity. Grants are between $1500 and $45,000 — typically around $10,000. Applicants must be cultural organisations (or their fiscal sponsors) serving the Baltimore area that qualify as public charities under section 501(c)(3).

The next deadline is 16th January.

The NPR College Podcast Challenge - a free-to-enter competition where U.S. based college students make an original short audio piece on any topic they want. The podcast can be in many different formats, including an interview, narrative story, or even investigative reporting, as long as it is between 3 and 12 minutes long. The contest is open to students of all ages pursuing an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, as well as those who have already graduated earlier in 2024. It can be done alone or with collaborators. Roughly ten finalists will be awarded a $500 scholarship, and one Grand Prize Winner will receive $5000 and their story will have the chance to feature on NPR. You can read my Spotlight here.

The deadline is 16th January, 11:59 pm ET.

Global Health Media Fellowship - a 12-month fellowship offering practical training for U.S. based medical students in the fundamentals of journalism, communications, and global health reporting on a variety of media platforms. The aim is to build a generation of physician-storytellers who can combat medical misinformation and shine a light on untold global health stories. Fellows learn how reporting on global health issues can impact health and human rights efforts, foundation and government health assistance, and individual health choices. Through coursework at Stanford’s Graduate Program in Journalism, independent reporting, and a CNN internship, fellows gain an understanding of how to tell compelling stories and work with local, national and international media outlets in order to share valuable medical and global health information with the general public. Training will be on a variety of media platforms, including print, online, broadcast, and social and digital media. A modest travel stipend (unspecified) is awarded, and fellows receive a stipend (unspecified) from CNN during their internship portion.

The deadline is 19th January.

NLGJA Excellence In Journalism Awards - a recognition of excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBTQ+ community, held by The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists (NLGJA). They are open to anyone, including non-members and journalists who do not identify as LGBTQ+. There are several categories, including Print/Online, Broadcast, Digital and Editorial, among others. Entry fees for members are $25 early bird and $50 regular; and for nonmembers $75 early bird and $100 regular. There is no entry fee for student members entering the student journalism category and a reduced rate of $15 for non-member students.

The early bird deadline is 19th January, and the final deadline is 1st March.

White House Correspondents’ Association Scholarship - a $6500 Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) scholarship for AAJA student members who are current college students at accredited U.S. colleges or universities. The scholarship can be used for tuition, room and board, books, and other educational expenses. The applicant must provide a statement of financial need. Recipients are invited to a luncheon with the members of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) and are matched with a volunteer mentor from the White House press corps for one year. Travel to the luncheon is the responsibility of the scholarship recipient.

The deadline is 21st January.

Al Young Sports Journalism Scholarship - a $2500 Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) scholarship for currently enrolled undergraduate students of Asian American-Pacific Islander descent pursuing sports journalism as a career. Applicants must: be a member of the AAJA; have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average; provide a statement of financial need; and use the scholarship funds to directly support or advance their education. The selected recipient must also commit to a minimum of five hours of volunteer work for the AAJA Sports Task Force.

The deadline is 21st January.

Michael Kim Journalism Fellowship - a $2500 Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) scholarship for young sports broadcast, podcast, or radio journalists with less than three years of professional experience. Applicants must: be a member of the AAJA and provide a statement of financial need. The selected scholarship recipient must also commit to a minimum of five hours of volunteer work for the AAJA Sports Task Force.

The deadline is 21st January.

The Sacramento Press Club Scholarships - funding of $4000 - $8000 for college students who will be juniors, seniors or graduate students for at least one term in the upcoming academic year and have a connection to the nine-county Sacramento region (Sacramento, Yolo, San Joaquin, El Dorado, Placer, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada and Butte counties). There are three ways to meet this requirement, students can: be from the Sacramento region; be enrolled in a Sacramento region college or university (NOTE: SF Bay Area colleges/universities are not included in the Sacramento region); or show a demonstrated interest in covering news of the Sacramento region. Previous winners have included audio and radio journalists.

The deadline is 23rd January, 11:59 pm PT.

Vermont Arts Council Artist Development Grant - up to $2000 of funding for Vermont artists at all stages of their careers. Grants can fund activities that enhance mastery of an artist’s craft or skills or that increase the viability of an artist’s business, or aspects of the creation of new work when the activity allows the grantee to accept a rare and important opportunity. Applicants must be over the age of 18.

The deadline is 25th January.

Pulitzer Prize - prestigious awards for U.S. journalism. They have an Audio Reporting category, which looks for “deep and revelatory reporting in the public interest” across all forms of audio storytelling, from podcasts to radio broadcasts. It is open to independent American producers and U.S. broadcast outlets. The prize is $15,000. Audio entries may not exceed a total of five hours of recorded material. Digital news sites operated by broadcast and audio organisations are also eligible in most Journalism categories. Independent U.S. based producers can apply. Submissions cost $75.

The deadline is 26th January, 11:59 pm PT.

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship - an $8000 unrestricted cash grant available for artists living in New York State and/or one of the Tribal Nations located therein. They support different disciplines each year; the 2026 categories do not explicitly include sound, but there is a Digital/Electronic Arts category that includes “interactive installations” and “other image, text, audio, or video works rooted in technology.” Applicants must be 25+ by the application deadline date.

The deadline is 27th January, 5 pm ET.

The NIHCM Foundation Television and Audio Journalism Award - a free-to-enter award recognising excellence in television and audio reporting on health care issues and policy. The winner receives $20,000. Entry can be either for an individual story or a series. Stories must have been broadcast during the calendar year 2025.

The deadline is 30th January, 5 pm ET.

Overseas Press Club of America Awards - a celebration of international reporting by U.S. based journalists in Newspapers, News Services, Newsletters, Digital, Magazines, Radio, Podcasts, Television, Video, Cartoons, Books and Photography. All award winners receive a certificate and a $1000 prize. They have an audio specific award and other medium agnostic awards. Each entry costs $200 — freelancers who find it difficult to pay the full fee can contact patricia [at] opcofamerica.org for information about financial aid.

The deadline is 30th January, 11:59 pm ET.

NABJ-Acel Moore Scholarships - two scholarships from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for a U.S. undergraduate sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student. The scholarship is worth $3000. Applicants must have at least one full year of school remaining at the time of application, have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, and be a current NABJ student member in good standing.

The deadline is 30th January, 11:59 pm PT.

Nieman-Berkman Klein Fellowship in Journalism Innovation (U.S.) - a fellowship for U.S. applicants at Harvard University to work on a specific course of research or a specific project relating to journalism innovation. Applicants must be U.S. citizens (including those working outside the U.S.) and should either be working journalists or freelance journalists, or work for a news organisation in another capacity. Selected fellows will receive supplemental health insurance and a stipend of $85,000 to cover living costs. Project proposals may deal with any issue relating to journalism’s digital transformation. To apply, candidates should complete the international application for the Nieman Fellowship, and indicate interest in being considered for the Nieman-Berkman Klein programme.

The deadline is 31st January.

Nieman Fellowship (United States) - a residency for up to 12 journalists who are U.S. citizens working in any medium. Those selected spend two full semesters at Harvard auditing classes. Fellows must speak, read and write English fluently. Selected applicants will receive a stipend of $85,000 over the nine-month period to cover living costs, along with accommodation. To be eligible, you must be a working journalist with at least five years of full-time media experience. There are no age limits or academic prerequisites, and a college degree is not required.

The deadline is 31st January.

Nieman Visiting Fellowship (for U.S. Applicants) - short-term research opportunities for individuals interested in working on special projects designed to advance journalism. Candidates do not need to be practicing journalists, but must demonstrate the ways in which their work at Harvard and the Nieman Foundation may improve the prospects for journalism’s future. Applications may be related to research, programming, design, financial strategies or other topics. Nieman Visiting Fellows utilise the extensive resources at Harvard and MIT, including local scholars, research centers and libraries, to achieve concrete results, either developing a project that can be completed during the time spent at Harvard or as part of a larger undertaking that continues after the fellowship period ends. Fellows are expected to share their progress and findings either through publication on one of Nieman’s in-house websites — Nieman Reports, Nieman Journalism Lab, and Nieman Storyboard — or in another medium or format better suited to the project. Applicants list their preferred start date, the number of weeks requested (no more than 12, with most being between 4 to 8 weeks). Fellows not supported by an employer will receive a stipend of $1325 per week. For fellows not residing in the Boston area, free use of a furnished one-bedroom apartment will be available for the length of the fellowship.

The deadline is 31st January.

The Victor K. McElheny Award - free-to-enter awards recognising outstanding coverage of science, public-health, technology, or environmental issues at the local or regional level in the United States. Winners receive a $10,000 award and are honoured at a ceremony hosted by the Knight Science Journalism Programme at MIT. Freelance or staff journalists working for independent news organisations can apply. Outlets with a large staff and emphasis on a national audience are not eligible for the award. They accept a wide range of submissions, including broadcasters and podcasters, as long as the platform’s primary mission is to serve a local or regional audience. Non-English entries must be accompanied by an English translation.

The deadline is 31st January.

Bart Richards Award for Media Criticism - an award to recognise constructively critical articles, books, and electronic and online media reports; academic and other research; and reports by media ombudsmen and journalism watchdog groups based in the United States. The winner receives a $2500 honorarium. Both individuals and media (or other organisations, enterprises, and groups) are eligible for the award, including newspapers, periodicals, and broadcast/cable stations.

The deadline is 31st January.

SPACES – Echo Artist Residency Program - a 6-week residency for Cleveland artists to create on-site projects for the greater Cleveland community and their galleries. Residents will receive an (unspecified) honorarium and production budget, facility access at maker spaces as well as on-site lodging in the gallery. The residency results in a six week exhibition in the space. They encourage applicants to propose projects that push the boundaries of their artistic practice, and share an authentic connection to this region.

The deadline is 10th February.

United Kingdom + Ireland

BBC Indie Development Fund - financial support that champions indies from across the U.K. who share the BBC’s creative diversity ambitions. Successful applicants will receive funding of between £10,000 and £25,000 in addition to mentoring from BBC commissioners. This year, all BBC radio networks will be participating across BBC Music or Speech, as opposed to just BBC Radio 3, as was the case in previous years. They are keen to strengthen their supply base in the Nations & Regions. They are looking for: indies who have very little or no experience working with the BBC; more established indies (those who have secured at least two commissions from the BBC in the past five years) who have an interest and expertise in reaching audiences new for the BBC; indies who are actively interested in broadening their audio production portfolio and have a passion for creating (or learning how to create) innovative specialised content in these categories – classical music programmes for Radio 3; specialist/alternative music programmes for 6 Music; specialist programmes for 1Xtra and Asian Network; programming for under 25s.

The deadline is 22nd December.

Hastings Queer History Collective: Artwork Commission - a commission for an LGBTQIA+ artist (including sound) based in East Sussex or with a strong Hastings connection to make something new for their exhibition at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery. The selected artist will receive £2500 to create the artwork (in 11 weeks). The curatorial themes are Lesbian Lives, Hidden Loves, Community Organising, The AIDS Crisis, and Hastings Now. Applicants must be 18+.

The deadline is 22nd December, 11:59 GMT.

Lucy Phillips Arts Fund - funding for specific projects which will develop or celebrate a U.K. based artist’s creative practice and benefit the residents of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Most grants will be around £500 - 700 (VAT inclusive). In exceptional situations, they might fund projects or activities for as much as £1000. The current fund objectives are to: support artist development, encourage creative collaborations, develop the leadership skills of artists and arts/cultural organisations and help creativity flourish in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. They fund both individuals and organisations, but applicants must be over the age of 18. NOTE: they will not support projects if they have not had any contact with the applicants before receiving their applications; they expect applicants to email them and make an initial enquiry.

The deadline is 31st December.

The Leverhulme Trust Aural Diversity Doctoral Research Hub - interdisciplinary Ph.D and Masters training in the study of hearing and listening differences, for U.K. based applicants. Leverhulme Doctoral Centre for Aural Diversity (LAURA) scholars will each receive free tuition, a stipend of £20,780 per year and will each have access to up to £10,000 for research and professional development costs. LAURA seeks to disrupt and transform thinking across disciplines by fundamentally reconceptualising hearing to include the whole spectrum of aural experience, beyond the assumed “normal” listener for whom the world’s sounds are designed. LAURA brings together supervisors from almost every discipline involved with sound, including acoustics, anthropology, art, architecture, computer science, education, engineering, English literature, music, occupational science, psychology, sociology and speech. It is a joint venture between the University of Salford and University of Cambridge. Applicants can study for a Ph.D or M.Phil. Full funding is available for a limited number of talented students, and they offer several fully-funded 4-year Ph.D scholarships. Applicants should have a minimum of a First-class undergraduate degree or a 2:1 Masters in a relevant area. There is additional support available during the application process — such as a mentor who will offer feedback on application drafts — for: BAME peoples; people with disabilities, first-generation students, mature students and care-experienced or estranged students.

The deadlines are 7th January for Cambridge programmes and 30th January for Salford programmes.

The Horsfall Residency - a residency for a male (or non-binary) U.K. based artist under 30 with Global Majority heritage to complete a project at The Horsfall gallery in Manchester. Their definition of Global Majority is: “Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, Indigenous to the global south, or who have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’ in the U.K. context.” The selected resident will receive £1750 to complete and showcase a final project. Applications are open to all creative disciplines.

The deadline is 7th January, 5 pm GMT.

Yorkshire Sound Women Network Rewired - funds for women (cis or trans) and gender diverse artists, including sound artists, in Yorkshire and the Humber. The main commission is worth £1500 with three micro commissions worth £750 each. There is no specific theme, though they support ideas that raise public awareness of the climate emergency through sound. Selected artists will create a new piece or installation that improves one’s artistic and technical level. The work should be original and will be presented at a public performance in West Yorkshire in May. Artists can be at any stage of their career, and must be 18+.

The deadline is 11th January, 11:59 pm GMT.

Cove Park Bridge Awards Residencies - five fully-funded residencies for Scotland-based artists whose careers have been impacted by a breast cancer diagnosis and who have undergone successful treatment and are up to five years in remission. The residencies will run from 4th May to 14th May. Applicants can be at any stage of their creative career, and working in any art form or creative discipline.

The deadline is 12th January.

IRN Awards for News Radio - free-to-enter awards for U.K. commercial radio stations affiliated to Newslink and Forces Radio. Categories include News Team of the Year; Best News Special; Best News Story or Coverage; Reporter of the Year (National); Reporter of the Year (Regional); Best Interview; Specialist Reporter of the Year; Best Sports Coverage; Newcomer of the Year and Student Journalist of the Year and the Gold Award.

The deadline is 15th January, 5 pm GMT.

RSA Residencies for Scotland - 1-month residencies for artists based in Scotland. Residents will be offered housing, unique community resources (gardens/libraries/community hub and kitchen), to realise one public event sharing their work. Although they aim to work flexibly with artists to build a residency around their needs, in terms of timing and alternate support. Artists can apply for up to £5000 and artists pay £300 per week to Deveron Projects, to be included in the artist’s budget.

The deadline is 18th January, 5 pm GMT.

Fortnum and Mason Food and Drink Awards - free-to-enter awards that champion the achievements of the U.K.’s current and emerging writers, publishers, photographers, broadcasters, content creators, and personalities whose work encourages audiences to broaden their understanding of food and drink. They have a Radio and Podcast category. The category winners receive a trophy, a Fortnum & Mason Hamper.

The deadline is 28th January, 12 pm GMT.

New Generation Thinkers - a scheme for five early-career researchers at a U.K. research organisation who are specialising in arts and humanities, allowing them to be “researchers in residence” at BBC Radio 4, where they will work with programme makers and produce a piece of writing to be recorded for radio. See the eligible research organisations here. Successful applicants also take part in learning and development opportunities with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) around working with the media, engaging the public with research, and how to work with policy makers. Applicants must be: over the age of 18; currently studying for their first PhD, having made considerable progress in their research; or within eight years of the award of their first PhD, excluding any period of career break such as parental leave, caring responsibilities, health reasons, or reasons consequent upon the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants must be within the first six years of their academic appointment and not a senior lecturer.

The deadline is 28th January, 4 pm GMT.

Amnesty Media Awards - a celebration of excellence in human rights journalism at U.K. based media outlets. There is a Radio & Podcasts category, as well as a free-to-enter, medium agnostic Gaby Rado Award for New Journalist category, for an applicant who has been working for five years or less in paid employment as a journalist. Entries must be in English or subtitled in English. Entries cost £200, but freelance journalists, non-profit, or small media outlets can apply for sponsorship.

The deadline is 30th January, 11:59 GMT.

Sandford St Martin Awards - a free-to-enter award for U.K. broadcast content that explores religious, spiritual or ethical themes. Relevant categories include: Radio/Audio category, Journalism and the Young Audience award, for media made for those under 18.

The deadline is 30th January.

Create Berwick Creative Action Fund - grants of £1000 - £5000 for creatives in Berwick and the surrounding wards to boost their careers or produce new creative activity within the Create Berwick Zone, or within the Elizabethan walls around Berwick. Funding cannot be used for a project already in progress, and must contribute towards a creative output, which could take many forms, including a sound- or radio-based work of art or a community event.

The next deadline is 31st January.

Radiophrenia Open Call - open call for sound and transmission artworks to be broadcast in September in Glasgow and online. They are seeking soundscapes, spoken word pieces, radio experiments, found sound, innovative approaches to drama and documentary, and radical and challenging new programme ideas. Priority will be given to works that are created especially for the medium of radio, that demonstrate originality, a spirit of experimentation and that play to the medium’s unique attributes as a means of disseminating ideas. There is no festival theme but they are especially open to works dealing with environmental topics such as the climate crisis, ecology, global warming and pollution. They welcome submissions from artists who identify as the global majority, disabled and LGBTQI+. No fees are available for selected works, only a platform.

The deadline is 14th February.

Europe

FOG Festival - Sound Art Open Call - open call for sound artists from or based in Switzerland to submit sound installation projects in any format, digital, physical, mechanical, spatial, or hybrid. All career stages are welcome. The FOG Festival is in September and will feature a curated selection of innovative works that explore sound as a spatial, conceptual, or sculptural medium. International may apply; however, travel expenses can only be covered in Switzerland. If selected, artists will be given a small (unspecified) fee, as well as technical support during setup and assistance with fundraising if needed.

The deadline is 20th December.

Tiny Spaces Deep Connections Open Call - 1-month residency for European artists within all creative disciplines (including sound) who focus on process-led and site-specific creation. The residency starts as soon as the artist leaves their home. The travel to the residency space becomes part of the process. That said, no airplanes are involved. The journey is curated to include visits to art spaces which are part of the Trans Europe Halles network, and other associated spaces. Each TISP studio is a recycled/repurposed space and artists working there will be encouraged to work sustainably. Project partners will provide mentorship and opportunities to connect with local communities and other TISP artists. Artwork produced during the residencies and travels will be archived on their website and represented on a digital platform, and then curated for exhibition during the project symposium in Oulu in August 2026. Accommodation and daily costs are provided, as well as €3000.

The deadline is 31st December.

Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans - small grants for people in the Western Balkans. Selected applicants will receive knowledge and skills and workshops on various topics, including the professional status of artists and the improvement of their economic and social working conditions in light of the specific WBs context. Applicants can also receive up to €5000. Excellent knowledge of English is mandatory.

The next deadline is 31st December, with rolling deadlines at the end of every month until June 2026.

CIVIS Media Prize - honouring outstanding productions on television, radio, internet, and cinema that promote the peaceful coexistence of people of different geographical and cultural origins within Europe. There is an Audio Award with three subcategories: Short Contributions (up to 6 minutes), Long Contributions (more than 6 minutes) and Podcasts. All come with a prize of €2000. The Civis Top Award additionally honours the best production of the year across other categories, which comes with a prize of €15,000.

The deadline is 31st December.

The Resistance Song Residency - a 3-month residency in Vilnius, Lithuania for artists, researchers and creatives (including sound artists) from Baltic regions. Participants are encouraged to investigate and interpret the role of song and sound in collective resilience and cultural expression. The residency critically examines the role of sound and performance as catalysts for resistance, solidarity, and collective action. During the residency, participants are encouraged to make at least one open presentation of their work on the theme of collective singing as an act of resistance. Residents will receive travel accommodation up to €250, a €300 production material budget and €2400.

The deadline is 10th January.

Tempelhof-Schoneberg Cultural Projects - (unspecified) funding for fees and material costs for projects within all cultural disciplines. Rent and other ongoing costs are not included in grants. Projects must be completed by the end of 2026 and must premiere in Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Germany. Projects may not begin until funding has been received.

The deadline is 12th January.

College of Europe Scholarships - a free 10-month Advanced Master’s course for students from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine who have completed at least a 4-year Bachelor’s degree or are in their final year of university studies. Degrees are available in a variety of fields, for All Hear we emphasise the one for students applying to the College of Europe in Natolin (Warsaw, Poland), where they also have a Master’s in Journalism and Media Studies. The programmes at the College of Europe are bilingual, with classes conducted in both English and French. Students admitted to the College of Europe in Natolin who need to improve their English or French can attend the Summer Language Academy, which offers intensive online language courses in August, before the start of the academic year. They cover tuition fees, board and lodging on campus, and offer pocket money (unspecified) during the academic year.

The deadline is 14th January.

Milena Jesenská Fellowship - a 3-month programme in Vienna, Austria, offering European (including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey) cultural journalists time off from their professional duties in order to pursue in-depth research on a topic of their choice. Cultural, in this case, should be interpreted in a broad sense to encompass a wide variety of intellectual and artistic fields. Applicants must have worked in print, broadcast or online journalism for several years and must have an outstanding professional record. The next fellowship term is September 2026 to June 2027. Fellows receive a stipend of €3300/month. In addition, they are provided with an office including access to the internet, administrative and research facilities as well as other services free of charge. All application materials should be in English.

The deadline is 16th January, 11:59 pm CET.

Journalismfund Europe Grant Programmes - funding which enables journalists and media to independently produce relevant cross-border investigative stories of public interest with a European mindset from international, national, and regional perspectives. It is open to E.U. member states and participating countries in the Creative Europe Programme (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, Armenia, and Tunisia). Unless otherwise specified, the results of the journalistic investigations can be published in any language, but applications must be in English. They have several grants which have multiple deadlines a year:

Environmental Investigative Journalism - a programme for cross-border teams of at least two professional journalists to conduct a journalistic investigation about an issue that concerns the environment and relates to Europe. To qualify applicants must be legally residing in at least two different countries. The result of the investigation must be published by at least two professional news outlets in at least two different countries, one of which must be in Europe. Production costs are eligible up to €1000. The grant can cover working time and expenses such as logistics, travel, insurance, access to legal support, translations, access to technology and data sets, etc. Teams can also apply for an experienced mentor to provide assistance.

The next deadline is 22nd January, 1 pm CEST.

The Pascal Decroos Fund - a grant programme for Dutch nationals to promote in-depth journalism in the Dutch-language media in Belgium. They are seeking original and innovative proposed projects which are relevant to Flanders and cannot be realised through regular journalistic channels. They have three types of grants: Investigative Journalism, In-depth Journalism and Preliminary Research. All journalistic media are accepted, including radio and podcasts. Both early-career and experienced journalists can apply, but those with more than two years of experience must provide a letter of intent for publication from at least one professional news outlet.

The next deadline is 22nd January, 1 pm CEST.

Postcode Lottery Fund for Journalists - up to €4000 of funding for freelance Dutch journalists to conduct high-level reporting abroad. Applicants must be a professional journalist who: has published articles/taken photos/made broadcasts (in Dutch) in the past year; will be traveling abroad for a production, but the trip has not yet taken place; is planning a story that goes beyond the local level and is aimed at a wide audience; has an employer or client who willing to pay a portion of the costs (e.g. the fees); has at least one letter of intent from an employer or client who is interested in publishing/broadcasting the piece if quality and relevance are proven. They encourage applicants to mention other grant applications for the same production. Applications are accepted in Dutch.

The next deadline is 30th January.

AFJA Grand Prize for Agricultural and Agri-Food Journalism - a prize open to journalists in France reporting on agriculture, food, rurality or the environment. Applicants must hold the French press card issued by the Commission de la Carte d’Identité des Journalistes (CCIJP). The prize (unspecified) is shared between the winners of the two categories: Written (print/web) and Audiovisual category (video/radio). Applications must be in French.

The deadline is 31st January.

Latin America + the Caribbean

Cuban Migrant Artists Resilience Fellowship - a 6-month fellowship for Cuban artists (within any discipline) to work on their art projects. Applicants must have faced persecution or risk due to their artistic pursuits or activism and relocated abroad within the last five years. They must demonstrate a clear need to participate in the program. Fellows will receive $7000. Applicants must be 18+.

The deadline is 24th December, 11:59 pm ET.

Delfina Open Call for Artists from Peru - a 12-week residency in London for Peruvian artists. It is dedicated to “open” independent research or to “thematic” collective research around a specific issue or idea. Applicants must be artists working professionally with proven experience and previously completed projects related to their practice. Residents will be provided with transportation, housing (with shared facilities), an allowance of £40 per day and a materials budget of £1200. Applicants must also be proficient in English.

The deadline is 9th January, 11:59 pm GMT.

Solidarity Reporting Prize - Instituto MOL’s awards for journalists and journalism students who report on citizenship practices in Brazil. Works in text, audio, video and image format are accepted. Winners of the professional and student prizes receive R$6000 for first place, $4000 for second place and $2000 for third. Applicants must complete the free online course on solidarity reporting before submitting entries.

The deadline is 14th January.

Jeduca Education Student Journalism Awards - a competition for material and quality work by recently graduated university Brazilian students on relevant topics across educational journalism and Brazilian public education. They also have a student category which accepts existing works (articles, documentaries, podcasts, etc.). The first prize is R$4500, the second is R$3000 and the third is R$1500.

The deadline is 31st January.

Canada

R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship - up to CAD $25,000 of funding for a significant foreign reporting project by a Canadian journalist (staffer, freelancer or student) working in any medium. They are looking for first-hand, in-depth coverage of important stories outside Canada’s borders. The funding is intended to cover the costs of time spent researching, reporting, travelling, and producing a significant project; and, renting equipment and paying for help (e.g. translators, photographers, videographers). It will not cover the purchase of equipment. Published work remains the property of the fellow, but Carleton University reserves the right to use completed projects to promote the Fellowship. The Fellowship is open to Canadians, and non-Canadians holding a valid Canadian work permit. Applications can be in English or French.

The deadline is 12th January, noon ET.

Hillman Prize (Canada) - a free-to-enter award honouring excellent Canadian journalism that is in service of the common good. They specifically seek out investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustice and fosters meaningful public policy change. Entries can be across print, digital and broadcast platforms, but they should be widely accessible to a Canadian audience. Self-published work is not eligible. Prize winners receive an honorarium (unspecified).

The deadline is 15th January, 11:59 pm ET.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation Fellowships and Bursaries - fellowships and bursaries for Canadian journalists, each with varying eligibility criteria. The upcoming fellowships which are relevant to audio journalists are:

CJF Indigenous Health Journalism Fellowship - offered to Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) journalists with a minimum of five years of professional experience. Fellows receive a 1-year research stipend of CAD $100,000, plus $50,000 for publishing partner support. Fellows will collaborate with a national media partner to produce impactful stories in one or more of the following media: broadcast documentary series, podcast, series of published articles with a national publication partner or media distributor.

The CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships - offered to three First Nation, Inuit or Métis journalists with 1 to 10 years of experience to explore an issue of interest, while being hosted for one month at CBC Indigenous in Winnipeg or Montreal. Fellows receive a stipend of CAD $30,000 and will write or produce a piece or series which will be considered for publication/broadcast by CBC News.

CJF Bursary for BIPOC Student Journalists - a CAD $5000 annual bursary offered to a BIPOC student in their final year of a Canadian undergraduate journalism programme. It is designed to support students who have demonstrated strong engagement with the BIPOC community and a commitment to high journalistic standards.

CJF Black Journalism Fellowship - offered to an early-career Black journalist with 1 to 5 years of experience. Fellows will be hosted for six months at a CBC/Radio-Canada (English and French), Globe and Mail or CTV News newsroom or at the IJB at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

The deadlines are 23rd January, 11:59 pm ET.

The Canadian Journalism Foundation Awards - a recognition of excellence in Canadian journalism. The recipients are presented their awards at the annual Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) Awards, held in June. The awards which are relevant to audio journalists are:

CJF Lifetime Achievement Award - honouring a Canadian who has made an outstanding lifetime contribution to journalism over multiple decades. Individuals who have worked in any type of media (print, broadcast, digital) and in any journalism category (news, business, politics, sports, editorial cartoons, arts, etc.) are eligible for consideration.

CJF Dr. Eric Jackman Award for Excellence in Journalism - honouring a Canadian organisation that embodies exemplary journalism with a resulting impact on the community it serves. Winners are selected in two categories: large media (50+ full-time employees, CAD $200 application fee) and small media (less than 50 full-time employees, $100 application fee).

CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting - honouring innovative work done by Canadian journalists to shine a light on adaptive solutions being tested and implemented to address the environmental challenges affecting the world today and in the future. The winner receives a CAD $10,000 prize.

The Landsberg Award - honouring a journalist who is raising awareness about gender equality and justice issues in Canada and seeks to inspire an increase in feminist media coverage and voices of women in Canada. The winner of the award receives a CAD $5000 cash prize. Radio programs and podcasts are accepted as entries.

The deadlines are 23rd January, 11:59 pm ET.

Africa

Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling - an award that honours up-and-coming journalists in Africa who strive to strengthen people’s voices and illuminate the transformational change taking place on the continent. English-speaking journalists working for print, broadcast and online news media based in Africa are eligible. Applicants must have no more than ten years of journalism experience. Winners receive a $5000 cash prize and will spend two weeks at The Economist’s headquarters in London from June - July 2026.

The deadline is 9th January.

Uganda National Journalism Awards - free-to-enter awards celebrating outstanding journalistic contributions within the Ugandan media landscape. All journalists working within Uganda are eligible, whether freelance or full time, but work must have been published or broadcast in a Ugandan media outlet or a regional news outlet that is widely accessible in the country. They allow for radio/podcast entries — entries should not exceed 60 minutes. They have 20 thematic categories, including a new Rising Star Award for Excellence in Early-Career Journalism for applicants who are 25 years or younger.

The deadline is 31st January.

Oceania

Extreme Weather in the Philippines Investigative Reporting Fellowship - a fellowship for journalists in the Philippines to produce in-depth reports on adaption measures and government preparedness for climate-induced natural disasters. They welcome pitches included but not limited to financial accountability, infrastructure effectiveness, preparedness and policy gaps, and ecosystem collapse. Applicants must have a minimum of two years of professional journalism experience and who have demonstrated prior reporting on environmental, climate or governance issues. Applications must be in English.

The deadline is 9th January, 11:59 pm Asia/Manila.

The Quill Awards - media awards in Victoria, Australia, hosted by the Melbourne Press Club. Entrants must have been employed by a media organisation that is based in Victoria or conducted substantial publishing or broadcasting activities in Victoria at the time the work was published. There are many medium agnostic categories as well as ones specifically for audio such as Podcasting, Radio Current Affairs and Radio News. The best category winner is selected as the Gold Quill winner, receiving an $8000 prize. There is also the Young Journalist of the Year, for applicants 25 years or under working in any medium — the winner for that category receives AU $1000 along with flights, accommodation, and a ticket to the 2026 IRE Conference in Washington, D.C. Entries cost $125. Members get one free entry (membership is $100 for journalists, $150 for associate members and $40 for students).

The deadline is 27th January.

Asia

EJN Supporting In-Depth Reports on Climate Change and India’s Private Sector - a fellowship for Indian communicators (including those in radio) to produce in-depth reports on the private sectors and climate change. They welcome applications from early-career communicators and experienced reporters with a track record of covering business and climate change issues. Specifically, they welcome pitches around climate financing and carbon trading, greenwashing in the private sector and locally led solutions to climate change. Applications must be in English.

The deadline is 8th January, 11:59 pm Pacific/Niue.

Shorenstein Journalism Award - an award for an Asian news media outlet or a journalist whose work has primarily appeared in Asian news media. While organisations are eligible, teams of journalists are not. The reporting must be accurate, deeply investigated and nuanced. A nominee’s work may be in traditional forms of print/online/broadcast journalism or in emerging forms of multimedia journalism. The award recipient will receive $10,000.

The deadline is 15th February.

Middle East

Delfina Open Call for Artists from Syria - a 12-week residency in London for Syrian artists. It is dedicated to “open” independent research or to “thematic” collective research around a specific issue or idea. Applicants must be Syrian and currently live in Syria, or currently live in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkey, or the UAE, but have lived in Syria before 2012. Applicants must have at least a graduate-level qualification in the arts or a related field. Residents will be provided with transportation, housing (with shared facilities), an allowance of £40 per day and a materials budget of £1000. Applicants must also be proficient in English.

The deadline is 18th January, 11:59 pm GMT.

That’s it for this month! Thanks for subscribing.

If you have any upcoming resources you can submit email to allhear [at] transom [dot] org.

All Hear is edited by Jennifer Jerrett and Sydney Lewis, with research by Eliza Dunn and Mae Nagusky.

Copyright © Talia Augustidis, all rights reserved.

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