All Hear January 2025

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

I have a small favour to ask. I’m applying to a few grants this year to improve All Hear and would love some testimonials from readers about what the newsletter means to you — maybe you’ve successfully applied to awards, grants or fellowships that you discovered from All Hear, or it makes you feel hopeful that there are opportunities out there. It would be a huge help. You can contact me by replying to this email.

It’s a big newsletter this month — 179 opportunities — with some really incredible initiatives. The NASA Audio Storytelling Internship sounds like SUCH a dream, getting to create short-form audio content for NASA’s podcasts. GGSC Spreading Love Through the Media is offering up to $50,000 of funding for nonfiction stories (including podcasts) related to love. The Whickers Podcast Pitch offers £15,000 for podcast series and one-off audio documentaries. Plus the deadline for the Transom x Blue Mountain Center residency program is fast approaching. — it’s a great opportunity for audio storytellers who could benefit from a month of undistracted time to work on their craft.

All Hear is free and always will be. If you want to show your support you can buy me a coffee or donate to Transom, which really helps keep this work sustainable.

Talia x

This month’s Spotlight is The Ecco retreat’s call for participants. Jasmin Bauomy is looking for a pan-European cohort of audio makers who are craving creative play.

More Opportunities

International

IRE Awards - an annual contest from Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) recognising the best in investigative reporting by print, broadcast and online media by their international members. They have two Audio categories: Large (above top 20 radio market size, $100 application fee) and Small (below top 20 radio market size, $60 application fee). They accept entries in languages other than English, but they require that the entry is accompanied by a complete translation. Student work is free to enter.

The deadline is 15th January.

Fred Ross Systemic Change Journalism Competition - a competition which empowers young journalists to report on tangible, systemic strategies addressing pressing challenges like climate change, polarisation, violence, LGBTQ+ rights, and the defense of democracy. Applications must be by: an individual who has fiscal sponsorship from a 501 (c) (3) or has prior IRS approval; an organisation with a 501 (c) (3) status; or an organisation based outside the U.S. with charitable designation in their home country and fiscal sponsorship through a U.S. based organisation. They encourage high school journalists to report on the systemic change, strategy, person or idea taking place in their own communities. Submissions are accepted in a variety of formats including print, broadcast or mixed media — projects can be in the form of documentaries, podcasts, articles, essays, theater, music or other creative outlets. First, second and third place winners will be awarded cash prizes of $1000, $500 and $250 respectively, and will be featured at the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) Annual Conference and in NSPA publications.

The deadline is rolling.

DM’s Are Open Calls for Pitches - DM’s Are Open is an English language radio sketch comedy show on BBC Radio 4 Extra which accepts submissions. It is non-topical (i.e. not reacting to that week’s news stories); instead submissions are expected to fit around a certain theme. They pay a flat fee for all material: £35 per half minute. This is nonexclusive, so you are free to use the material elsewhere. They offer pitching tips here. Keep an eye on their page for this season’s upcoming themes.

The deadline is the Wednesday after the week’s theme is posted, midday GMT.

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. 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. Room, board, course fees, and travel costs are covered. Writers, editors, and broadcast journalists are welcome to apply.

The deadline is 15th January.

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. The first episode of any narrative-driven podcast should be 6 - 60 minutes in length, one stand-alone audio piece can be 6 - 75 minutes, and the first chapter of an audiobook can be 6 - 30 minutes. 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 or @TribecaAudio if you have any questions. You can read my Spotlight of Tribeca Audio Storytelling here.

The deadline is 15th January. The extended deadline is 12th February.

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 15th January, 11:59 pm ET.

APWLD Media Fellowship on Digitalisation and Feminist Digital Rights and Justice - a 1-year fellowship for women media professionals, journalists, data and visual journalists across Asia and the Pacific region to produce multimedia reports that tackle grassroots women’s issues, analyse structural inequalities and promote feminist collective action and solidarity through a feminist and human rights lens. This year’s media fellowship supports reportage on the rise of digitalisation in the region and its gendered impact on women and their communities. Selected individuals will be given a stipend of $3000 while teams will be provided with $5000 to cover expenses for research and travel. Fellows will have an option to produce news, feature, photo, data and/or podcast/audio stories, audio-video content or documentary or a combination of these formats with a feminist lens that highlights the gendered impact of digitalisation on women’s human rights. Selected fellows will be invited to attend a four-day in-person Media Fellowship Training in April 2025 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. At the end of the fellowship, the fellows are invited to a two- to three-day reflection meeting.

The deadline is 15th January.

Knight Science Journalism Fellowship Program - a 9-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 16th January, 11:59 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. Audio Dramas in any language can be submitted. 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). The 2025 Festival takes place in Canterbury from 24th - 28th March.

The deadline is 17th January.

Small Audio Art Call Out - audio producer and artist Phoebe McIndoe is inviting makers to send in small audio and art pieces exploring wooden spoons. Your wooden spoon might be a well-loved family heirloom or a simple kitchen companion, a keeper of recipes or a conductor of kitchen symphonies. How many hands have held it? What traditions does it keep alive? Perhaps it reminds you of someone special, or connects you to your culture and heritage through the daily rhythms of cooking and sharing food. The piece could be in any format — audio, photography, poetry, collage — and any language. The suggested length for audio is 1-10 minutes. She will post the results online in a shared space. Send your piece to mcindoephoebe@gmail.com. There is no fee for participation.

The deadline is 15th January.

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. 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 extended deadline is 17th January, 6 pm GMT.

Transom Traveling Workshop - a weeklong intensive in-person workshop on audio storytelling on Catalina Island for ten beginning-level students. Students will be immersed in field recording, interviewing, digital editing, script writing, and narration. The fee for the week is either $2810 or $2410 depending on housing, and includes: training, equipment, ferry services, housing, three group meals and a student membership with AIR. There are scholarships available. The workshop begins on 23rd March. By the end of the week, each participant will have produced a short profile of a creative person living on Catalina. They finish with a listening party open to the community.

The deadline is 17th January, 11:59 pm ET.

Mazra’ah Media Arts Residency - a 3-month residency in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, for artists to evolve new creative practices within the dynamic realms of New Media and Digital Art, particularly concepts and ideas that originate from or relate to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the Global Majority. They support work at the intersection of art, science and technology. Residents are provided with a production budget (unspecified) and comprehensive support, covering all stages from conceptualisation to execution. Artists live and work at the DAF centre, a space conducive to creativity and innovation.

The deadline is 20th 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 21st January.

Scriptwriters & Co Scratch Night Call for Submissions - a call out for international writers to submit mini plays, screenplays or audio plays in English to be performed at Scriptwriters & Co’s Winter Scratch Night on 27th January. Scripts must be 2-4 pages. Winners will also receive notes from Zanna Cardash (Artistic Director) or Alex Hollister (Lead Script Consultant). It’s a way to test new work and receive professional notes in a safe, positive environment. This round’s theme is “Short and Sweet.” They accept many forms — comedy, tragedy, hi-concept or kitchen sink drama, whatever.

The deadline is 23rd January, 12 pm GMT.

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 $210 and $370 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 23rd January, 11:59 pm ET and the extended 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 2025 will be held at Maynooth University in Dublin on 5th April. They cannot make any contribution to travel or accommodation expenses.

The deadline is 24th January.

Matsu Biennial Call for International Proposals - an open call which encourages international artists to address Taiwan’s Matsu Islands’ cultural preservation and perpetuation by translating the Islands’ Cold War legacy from global perspectives. The theme of the Open Call is “Your Sea, My Land,” with sub-themes of Cold War and New Cold War Culture, Island Cultural Identity and Maritime Cultural Sustainability. They are looking for installations in situ, which can be indoor or outdoor. The proposals may take the form of performance, literature, cuisine, fashion, design, technology, immersive experience, or community-based interactive projects. They encourage the successful applicants to interact with the islanders in the creative process, and the specific results must be displayed for the visitors to experience and appreciate during the biennial. The successful applicants will receive up to NT $1,000,000 (about US $31,000 - 32,000).

The deadline is 24th January, 5 pm CCT.

Cultural Survival’s Indigenous Community Media Fund - funding to strengthen the infrastructure and transmission systems of Indigenous community media and radio stations, as well as training opportunities for community journalists. Their goal is to improve and ensure the sustainability of community media run by communities and Indigenous peoples. Indigenous community radio stations, collectives and Indigenous community media can apply for a grant of up to US$8000; and Indigenous community media network proposals involving three or more community media can apply for up to $12,000. They prioritise funding projects that promote the participation and inclusion of women, other genders, and youth. This year, they are particularly looking to support activities related to environmental justice in the face of climate change, including disaster prevention, mitigation, and response. The eligible countries are: Argentina, Bolivia, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, Canada, United States, Mexico, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, India, Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and French Polynesia. Proposed projects should be completed within 6 to 10 months. Applications can be in English, Spanish, French or Portuguese.

The 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. 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 27th January.

The Dart Awards for Journalism and Trauma - journalism awards focused on the impact of violence, crime, disaster and other traumatic events on individuals, families and communities. All entries must have been originally published, aired or broadcast by news outlets based in North America or U.S. territories. Independent and staff producers can apply. The entry fee is $50 for news organisations and $25 for independents, but applicants in need can apply for a fee waiver. They offer two cash prizes of $5000.

The deadline is 28th January, 5 pm ET.

The Nonfiction Hot List - a call out for nonfiction projects that need a champion. A new project founded by a collective of nonfiction filmmakers, producers and executives passionate about supporting stories that simply must get made — but haven’t yet. They declare that no one has a monopoly on great taste and algorithms don't predict magic. It doesn’t matter if the pitch has been previously passed on by streamers/outlets. They are looking for stories that stick with you, characters that move you, access that feels special, and inventive creative approaches. The final list will be shared with the broader industry in Q1 2025 and every submission will receive a response. NOTE: It seems like there is no money involved yet, and no mention of intellectual property, I suppose the aim is to get good ideas seen by industry professionals.

The deadline is 31st 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. Audio specific and medium agnostic categories include: Radio; Nontraditional Media; and Criminal Justice. Their free-to-enter student awards also accept all media. The professional category winners will receive $1000 and the student categories will receive $500.

The deadline is 31st January.

Joan Shorenstein Fellowship (Fall/Full Year) - semester-long fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School, aimed at experienced international journalists, scholars, politicians and policymakers. The fellowship includes creating a project alongside other commitments such as speaking engagements, interviews, meetings, events, social gatherings, reports and publishing original work on the Shorenstein Center’s website, which could take the form of expert commentaries, a white paper or policy paper, a podcast or video series, or other forms. The content should contribute meaningfully to the public’s understanding of how essential information is created, conveyed, and/or consumed. Stipends and other financial and material assistance for fellows are dependent on need and scope of a fellow’s work and contribution to the center. Stipend funds are limited and not guaranteed. Journalists must have a minimum of ten years of full-time experience, either at professional news organisations or as a full-time freelancer. Applicants must be fluent in English.

The deadline is 31st January.

The Homiens Art Prize - a free-to-enter, non-acquisitive art prize open to all international artists and art forms. Each round, six winning artists: are exhibited by Homiens; receive an unrestricted cash award of $500; are published in their exhibition catalog and publication; receive an optional interview; and may request a letter of recommendation from Homiens’ jurors. Up to 200 artists are Highly Commended. Video- and sound-based works may be of a duration up to 30 minutes.

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 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 $450 for a series. Their student awards are $100.

The deadline is 31st January.

COMESA Media Awards - free-to-enter awards that honour journalists who have reported on and made significant contributions to the subject of regional integration. They accept entries in various fields, including print, radio, television and online media. Only journalists from the COMESA Member States can apply. Entries must be in one of the COMESA official languages: English, French, or Arabic.

The deadline is 31st January.

IJA Indigenous Journalism Fellowship - a 2-month virtual training for Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, First Nation, Inuit or Métis college or graduate students pursuing degrees in broadcast, print or digital journalism. Student fellows work with mentors to produce content throughout the fellowship while completing a virtual curriculum designed to fill in the blanks left by traditional journalism schools. During the fellowship, successful applicants will complete a fellowship reporting project and attend the Indigenous Media Conference in Albuquerque in August. The Indigenous Journalism Association (IJA) will cover fellow air and ground travel, hotel accommodations and conference registrations as well as providing a $500 stipend for the week of conference.

The deadline is 31st January.

EBU Audio Storytelling Festival - a call out for international submissions of the best, most inspiring and impactful crafted audio programmes for The Audio Storytelling Festival (formerly known as the International Features Conference or IFC), an annual gathering of professionals working with radio and audio content. The 2025 Festival theme is Community and Connections. Applicants can propose their own work or a piece of audio they’ve heard elsewhere that really impressed them. The submitted pieces could be narrative- and sound-led audio programmes (factual and fiction); workshop ideas; or inventive approaches to listening to and assessing podcast series. Submitted pieces can be documentaries, series, drama, short-form or any other type of crafted audio story, as long as the submissions are 60 minutes or less (series makers should submit one episode or a compilation presentation). Works must have been produced after May 2023. Entrants can be public service audio producers, independents, or commercial producers and studios. Those selected must attend the conference which this year takes place in Vilnius, Lithuania, 25th - 28th May. The event is free to all, and participation is without compensation — travel costs are at the expense of the participants, including speakers, moderators, and selected producers. All programmes, including English programmes, must provide an English video transcription.

The deadline is 31st January.

TRACE Prize for Investigative Reporting: Uncovering Commercial Bribery - an international award recognising journalism that uncovers business-related bribery and financial crime with the goal of increasing commercial transparency and good governance. Nominees may be print, broadcast or online reporters. There will be two winners, who will each receive a cash prize of $10,000, and up to two honourable mentions, who will receive $1000.

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.

minus20degree Allmende (“Commons”) - a call out for international artists in the fields of sound art, videoart, performance, theater, installation, or dynamic land art to exhibit work at minus20degree, a festival which takes place entirely outside in Flachau, Austria. They are especially interested in art that needs and takes space, art that is mobile or makes the audience move. The entire village of Flachau and the surrounding area can be used as a site for artistic intervention. All artworks must be water and temperature resistant. Allmende, or, in English, “the Commons,” refers to a shared ground and its resources — “was jedem gehört,” or “what belongs to all.” The allmende is rooted in a social agreement of collective ownership, ensuring that no one takes more than is harmful for the resource and for the other participants, such that all can benefit. They also look forward to receiving proposals for sound and video art that embraces the snowy landscape as an endless projection surface. minus20degree is completely independent, so the proposals do not need to please or go easy on the audience. They provide a €2000 artist fee, a €2000 production fee, €400 travel costs, up to six nights’ accommodation during the exhibition, a one-week residency in Flachau including travel costs and accommodation; and professional documentation of the work. Ideally the residency will take place in March.

The deadline is 1st February.

Composing With Tape Grant - a grant for a 4-day in-person course on the Cornish coast led by sound artist and composer Paul Cousins exploring reel-to-reel tape machines and the creative possibilities of analog recording. Participants delve into the tactile, hands-on world of tape manipulation, looping, and sound design, using reel-to-reel tape machines as both musical instruments and tools for composition. Paul will guide them through the fundamentals of tape recording, splicing, and looping, as well as advanced experimental techniques of tape delay and manipulation. Everything is included — breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks. They have two grants designed to assist those who may need financial support to attend. One grant is available to Cornwall residents, and the other is open to anyone else.

The deadline is 1st February.

The MØRNING People Fund - a quarterly £4000 grant for international artists, creatives, dreamers and innovators, designed to fuel the boundary-pushing work that keeps culture alive. MØRNING is a creative strategy studio “on a mission to make the world a bit less shit than it was yesterday.” Applicants can be any age provided they are a legal adult in their country of residence. Grantees receive a support package which offers a 45 minute coaching session with a MØRNING team member. They do not help with production.

The next deadline is 1st February.

Transom x Blue Mountain Center Residency - a 1-month free residency in the Adirondack Mountains in New York, typically open to artists, writers, filmmakers, composers, activists, organisers and cultural workers who produce transformative work for their times. In collaboration with Transom.org, Blue Mountain Center is offering residencies for creative, independent audio artists and storytellers whose craft will benefit from a residency. They offer undistracted time, quiet, good food, and a beautiful space for people to pursue their work. They are committed to supporting artists whose work evinces social and ecological concern and encourages applications from people of color, LGBTQ artists and activists, as well as those who have never participated in a residency before.

The deadline is 1st February, 11:59 pm PT.

Leipziger Hörspielsommer Short Audio Drama Competition - a free-to-enter competition for short audio pieces under 3 minutes. The theme is completely open. Pieces in German, English, Russian, or French are accepted. The pieces should be less than two years old.

The deadline is 1st February.

Leipziger Hörspielsommer International Audio Drama and Sound Art Competition - a free-to-enter competition for young, amateur artists and creators to submit audio pieces between 3 and 45 minutes. German or English works are accepted. Submittors can have no more than three works published (excluding self-publishing, open channels, amateur radio stations or locally non-commercial radio stations). The pieces should be less than two years old.

The deadline is 1st February.

Science in Society Journalism Awards - a recognition of international investigative or interpretive reporting about the sciences and their impact on modern society. They have six categories, four of which accept audio. The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) will award separate cash prizes of $2000 per category — the prize money is intended for content authors or producers, not publications or news organisations. Entries must be in English.

The deadline is 1st February, 11:59 pm ET.

Wave Farm Transmission Arts Residency Program - a 10-day residency for international transmission and radio artists. It takes place in the Catskill Mountain Park in upstate New York. Each resident will receive a $1000 artist fee, but they are expected to pay for their own travel expenses, as well as expenses related to meals during their stay. In 2025 the programme will emphasise “A Radio Art Hour.” Each residency will conclude with a radio broadcast on Wave Farm Radio: WGXC 90.7-FM Radio for Open Ears in NY’s Upper Hudson Valley. One resident will win The Rising Tide Award — a $1500 prize to support an applicant with “a multidimensional life and background.”

The deadline is 1st February.

Wallace House Livingston Awards - a free-to-enter award to recognise the best journalists under 35. There is a $10,000 prize in three categories: local, national and international reporting. They accept international applicants but the work must appear in U.S.-controlled media. Print, online, video, audio, and data visualisation work are eligible. Entrants must be 34 years of age or younger as of 31st December 2024.

The deadline is 1st February, 11:59 pm PT.

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:

North America - for journalists from North America and Germany. The delegates receive a €4000 stipend and a €1500 travel allowance.

The deadline is 1st February.

Southern Africa - for journalists from southern Africa and Germany. The delegates receive a €3500 stipend.

The deadline is 15th February.

EJN Story Grants to Support Reporting on Climate and Environmental Solutions in Asia Pacific - up to $2000 story grants from the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) for journalists residing in low- and middle-income countries in South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific to produce in-depth solutions focused media reports on environmental and climate challenges in the Asia-Pacific region. Journalists from countries from Central Asia are not eligible to apply. They welcome stories on scalable and replicable solutions that build community resilience to climate change and environmental degradation. In addition to funding, selected journalists will receive 1:1 editorial mentorship and training on how to produce rigorous and impactful solutions journalism. Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and from any media (international, national, local and community-based), but applicants should have some experience covering climate and/or environmental issues. Applications must be in English, but stories can be produced in any language (provided there is an English translation).

The deadline is 3rd February, 11:59 pm PT.

SPJ Mark of Excellence Award - an award honouring the best in student journalism for anyone enrolled in a college or university in 2024 while studying for an academic degree. International applicants are welcome. The audio-specific categories are Best Podcast and Best All-Around Radio Newscast. 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 deadline is 4th February, 11:59 pm ET.

One World Media Awards - recognition of the best media coverage of low- and middle-income countries in the global south, or indigenous peoples and communities from anywhere in the world. They are looking for stories that break through stereotypes, change the narrative and connect people across cultures. Broadly, countries in the global south are located in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia (excluding Israel, Japan, and South Korea), and Oceania (excluding Asia and New Zealand). They accept countries which are on either of the following lists: the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) or the World Population Review’s Global South Countries. Audio is a relevant medium for most categories, and there is a specific Podcast & Radio Award. Entries cost £165 for organisations, £40 for freelancers and £25 for students, except the Press Freedom Award which is free to enter.

The deadline is 6th February, 5 pm GMT.

Media Grants to Strengthen Coverage of Environmental Crimes and Sustainable Solutions in the Amazon - $5000 to $10,000 story grants from the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) for organisations based in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to produce in-depth stories on environmental crimes in the Amazon Region. The grants are aimed at journalists, environmental rights defenders, civil society organisations and media outlets working in the Amazon Basin, who are pressured by a lack of resources and training or threats of violence when they expose activities such as wildlife trafficking, illegal mining, and logging. Selected media grantees will receive guidance, feedback and editorial support from Internews' Americas team and EJN. They accept applications in English, Spanish and Portuguese, but output can be in any language.

The deadline is 7th February, 10:06 pm America/Lima.

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Open Call - a call out for submissions to imagineNATIVE, the world’s largest Indigenous film and media arts Festival which takes place in Toronto in early June, showcasing film, video, digital, interactive and audio media works created by Indigenous artists at all levels of experience. They are committed to a greater understanding by audiences 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. There is a CAD $5 submission fee

The deadline is 7th February.

EJN Media Grants to Support Coverage of 30x30 Marine Conservation Targets - 10,000 grants from the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) for newsrooms and media organisations in coastal countries to produce in-depth and enterprise reporting projects, initiatives to train journalists and other activities designed to increase media coverage on 30x30 marine conservation targets. Coastal countries in this case means only a marine border, not a freshwater coast. EJN’s definition of media for this opportunity includes newspapers, online media, radio, television, multimedia platforms, journalist networks, collectives and other groups that produce and distribute news and information. Applicants are permitted and encouraged to raise co-financing for the proposed activities, but it is not required. Applications must be in English.

The deadline is 7th February, 11:59 pm PT.

CENSE Call Out - the Cross European Network for Sonic Ecologies (CENSE) is seeking international proposals for papers, research reports, artworks, performances, and workshops on sound art, ecomusicology, and sound for their conference. The conference is on 23rd - 26th September in Ljubljana, Slovenia. They pay special attention to Central Europe, but the geopolitical range of topics remains open to the broader world.

The deadline is 10th February.

MacDowell Fellowship (Fall/Winter) - a 6-week residency for international artists representing a wide range of perspectives and demographics. MacDowell offers exclusive use of a studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day during the residency. They also offer stipends (unspecified) to cover rent, utilities, childcare, and to replace lost income. Artists may submit only one application every 24 months. It costs $30 to apply, but anyone in need of financial aid may request a fee waiver. They don’t specifically include audio journalism or sound art but according to them, this would come under their literature section. They do also have The Art of Journalism initiative.

The deadline is 10th February.

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 $30 (SPJ members) and $40 (non members) and regular deadline entries cost $35 (members) and $45 (non-members).

The final deadline is 11th February, 11:59 pm ET.

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 $110 and $255 depending on membership status and size of the network. For students it is $40 per entry (or $20 for members). Non-English works are accepted provided they have subtitles.

The deadline is 13th February, 5 pm ET.

Best of West Awards - a journalistic competition for individuals or organisations based in the American West. They accept audio journalism/art submissions in most categories, but they also have a specific Audio Storytelling category. It costs $20 per entry. Non-English language entries accepted, provided there is an English transcript.

The deadline was 15th February, 11:59 pm PT.

The Mirror Awards - an international prize honouring journalists who hold a mirror up to their own industry for the public’s benefit. The competition is open to anyone who conducts reporting, commentary or criticism of the media industries in a format intended for a mass audience — podcasts and audio stories are eligible. They have five categories for single stories with a $1000 prize, as well as one category for a series or a single in-depth piece with a $5000 prize. Submissions must be in English.

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

WPI Fellowship - a 9-week cross-country programme for non-U.S. journalists working outside of the U.S. to meet with and interview subject matter experts in media outlets, think tanks and advocacy organisations from across the United States. The tour starts in Minneapolis and ends in St. Paul, Minnesota, going through Chicago, New York City, Miami, Austin (Texas), San Francisco and more. The World Press Institute (WPI) pays the following programme expenses: transportation, roundtrip airfare, related travel, lodging and a modest allowance for food. Applicants must have at least five years of full-time employment in print, broadcast or online journalism, including radio and audio, and fluency in both written and spoken English.

The deadline is 15th February.

Safeguarding Women’s Voices: Enhancing Gender-Responsive Safety Strategies - an initiative which aims to support media outlets in different regions, with a focus on the Global South, to strengthen safety policies to address threats based on gender. All types of media outlets and newsrooms are eligible, including but not limited to: print, TV, radio, internet, magazine, nonprofit, and commercial. Participating newsrooms will receive: 1:1 consultations with safety experts to identify an action plan for each newsroom; the guidance of safety experts to develop, strengthen and monitor safety protocols to address threats based on gender; access to existing resources such as adaptable policy templates and real-life newsroom policy examples; and customised safety trainings for newsroom leaders and journalists. Newsrooms from the following countries (regardless of their size or type of medium) can apply for this opportunity: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Honduras, Mexico, Haiti, El Salvador, Ecuador, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Guyana, Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Somalia, Namibia, Iraq, Lebanon and Morocco. They accept applications in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.

The deadline is 16th February, 12 pm ET.

Complex Systems Summer School Journalism Fellowship - a 5-week fellowship and residency in Santa Fe for accomplished, full-time international reporters with a demonstrated interest in and record of reporting about matters related to complex systems. Two selected journalists will learn alongside graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, and professionals through an intensive series of lectures and labs taught by world-renowned faculty. The Fellow will be encouraged to contribute to a group project at the Complex Systems Summer School. Fellows receive a stipend of $6250. To ensure immersion in complex systems science, selected fellows are expected to refrain from routine reporting in their normal news media outlets during the fellowship. Applicants may be reporters, writers, editors, producers, or programme hosts who work in newspapers, magazines, news websites, television, or radio.

The deadline is 17th February.

The Whickers Podcast Pitch - an international funding opportunity for narrative podcast series and one-off audio documentaries. Applicants submit up to four minutes of original taster audio for consideration. Five finalists attend the Sheffield Documentary Festival in June and conduct a live pitch. The winner receives £15000 plus mentorship, and one runner up receives £5000. All six finalists receive tickets to the festival, two night’s accommodation, and a contribution of up to £400 per project towards their travel expenses. The programme must be in English. You can read my Spotlight here.

The deadline is 25th February, 11:59 pm GMT.

Sound of the Year Awards - free-to-enter international awards for sounds. They have nine categories including Best Natural Sound, Most Unpleasant Sound and Best Imagined Sound. They also have a Children's Category. All sounds must have been recorded/made/heard within a year of submission. Winners of all categories (except the Children’s Categories) will receive a LOM microphone, a Radius mount and a Bubblebee Industries windkiller. The winner of Sound of the Year will also receive a Weaver audio sampler.

The deadline is 28th February, 6 pm GMT.

Global Shining Light Award - a competition honouring investigative journalism which originated in and affected a Global South country and was produced under threat, duress, or in the direst of conditions. There are two award categories: Small & Medium Outlets (organisations with staff of 20 or less, including freelancers); and Large Outlets (organisations with more than 20 staff). Winners receive $2500 and a trip to the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in November. Non-English submissions must provide a detailed English-language summary (print or online) or transcript (broadcast).

The deadline is 28th February.

The Tarbell Fellowship - a 1-year, full-time, remote-first programme for early-career, 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 $50,000. Applicants should have less than 5 years of relevant journalistic experience; no university degree is required.

The deadline is 28th February.

The NABJ Ethel Payne Fellowship - a $5000 opportunity for a U.S. based member of The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) to complete a project or singular report on Africa. You must have at least seven years of full-time reporting experience. Memberships for the NABJ cost $100 a year ($40 for students).

The deadline is 28th February, midnight PT.

The Uproot Project Environmental Justice Fellowship - 1-year project-based grants for seven international, early-career journalists of colour to shed light on undercovered environmental justice stories which highlight how key environmental issues of our time are inextricably linked with other forms of inequity. Their definition of early career includes but is not limited to: journalists who are relatively new to the environmental/climate beat, freelancers who have not had full-time newsroom experience, recent journalism school graduates, and scientists without traditional journalism training but with strong writing clips and content knowledge. Projects can be in any medium. Applicants must be members of The Uproot Project (it’s free to join). Applicants can be staff or freelance. Fellows receive up to $2000 to cover travel and other reporting expenses as well as support from Uproot to place their stories with a media outlet if requested.

The deadline is 1st March, 11:59 pm ET.

SCAC Arts Project Support Grants - up to $2500 in funding for artists, nonprofit organisations, and units of government in South Carolina, aimed at supporting quality arts projects, marketing, and events and/or an artist’s commitment to improving themselves and/or their work artistically. Among other things, the grant can be used to build and/or increase technical, online, or virtual capacity; for supporting art projects in public spaces, community arts development, or professional development for artists and arts administration staff. They accept artists working within various disciplines, including time-based arts such as sound.

The deadline is 4th March.

IJA Indigenous Media Awards - recognising outstanding coverage by Indigenous and non-Indigenous journalists on Indigenous Peoples across the United States, Canada and globally, hosted by The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA). Professional Divisions are reserved for Indigenous journalists who are members of the IJA, and Associate Divisions are reserved for non-Indigenous entrants, including students. The Best Multimedia category allows for audio submissions. Entries cost $50 ($25 for members or $10 for student members). There are also three special free-to-nominate awards: The IJA-Medill Milestone Achievement Award which grants $5000 to someone who has made significant contributions to journalism in the past; The Tim Giago Free Press Award which grants a cash prize (unspecified) to an IJA member who has shown dedication and commitment to upholding freedom of the press, information and transparency within their Indigenous community; and The IJA Richard LaCourse Award for Investigative Journalism which offers a cash prize (unspecified) to an Indigenous journalist or a team that creatively uses digital tools in the role of community watchdog to create groundbreaking work.

The deadline is 7th March.

Salt x Spotify Studios Union Scholarship (Summer) - Spotify Studios Union is sponsoring a scholarship for a semester-long Salt Institute for Documentary Studies Graduate Certificate Program at MECA&D for an aspiring audio producer with “a diverse set of lived experiences.” The scholarship covers tuition, fees, and room and board in its entirety for one student each semester. The recipient will also be paired with a current employee of Spotify Studios who will serve as a mentor; they will meet with their mentee four times over the course of a year. Applicants must apply by the priority deadline. International applicants are welcome, but the course is in English and they must pay for their own travel and visa. The Fall programme begins in late August 2025.

The priority deadline is 9th March.

The Publisher Podcast Awards - free-to-enter international awards for podcasts made by those in publishing. The definition of a publisher is an “organisation of any size whose primary purpose is to publish editorial content in at least one other medium than audio to an audience across print or online.” The podcasts must be in English.

The deadline is 14th March.

GGSC Spreading Love Through the Media - The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) is conducting a request for proposals (RFP) to support nonfiction content and reported stories related to love, made by North American producers. They are interested in projects that extend well beyond romantic love; they define love as a deep, unselfish commitment to another person’s well-being — even to put their interests before one’s own. The GGSC will distribute grants of between $5000 and $50,000 to two dozen journalists and media producers who approach the topic of love from a variety of angles and across a range of media, including articles, videos, radio stories, podcasts, social media content, and more. In addition to financial support, they will also connect the grantees with scientific experts who will serve as advisors to their projects, guiding them to relevant research and helping them align their work with the science of love. Grant recipients will have full editorial control over their final pieces. They will not receive any editorial review or need approval from the Greater Good Science Center. All proposals must be submitted in English. However, the actual projects that receive grant funding can be in any language.

The deadline is 24th March, 11:59 pm PT.

The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism (Spring) - a fellowship for experienced journalists (freelance or staff) in any medium to produce deeply reported enterprise and investigative stories that delve into economic, financial or business issues across a wide array of subjects. They provide grants of up to $15,000 along with editorial support. Applicants must have at least five years’ professional experience in journalism. International applicants are welcome but the stories must be published in English in a U.S. media outlet. Proposed pieces can be in a range of mediums, including audio.

The deadline is 31st March.

United States

KFW’s Feminist Artist Career Development Mini Grant - $500 of quick turnaround funding to support Kentucky feminist artists to further their career, broaden the audience or impact of their work, and strengthen their artist networks. Match funding is required — KFW will provide 75% of the cost of activities up to $500.

The deadline is rolling.

RTDNA Scholarships and Fellowships - funding of between $1000 and $10,000 from The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for U.S. based college students pursuing careers in radio, television, or digital journalism. Fellowships are open to professional broadcast or digital journalists with fewer than 10 years of experience. Winners must be officially enrolled, full-time sophomores, juniors or seniors in good standing. Scholarship and fellowship winners are also asked to attend the RTDNA conference free of charge and with travel support. There are a few fellowships with specific criteria, such as one for a student based in the San Francisco Bay area, one for a minority journalist, one for a journalist engaged in covering national defense and security, and one for a journalist engaged in international reporting. The rest are broadly open.

The deadline is 15th January.

Patrick Henry History Fellowship - a 9-month full-time residential fellowship which supports outstanding work on American history by both scholars and non-academics. Applicants must be legally authorised to work in the United States. Prospective fellows should propose a project which addresses the history and/or legacy of the U.S. founding era or the nation’s founding ideas. They offer a $45,000 stipend, health benefits, faculty privileges, a book allowance, and accommodation. Applicants should have a significant project currently in progress — a book, film, oral history archive, podcast series, museum exhibition, or similar work.

The deadline is 15th January.

Stanford’s John S. Knight Fellowship (United States) - a 9-month journey of professional and personal exploration for U.S. based journalists to develop the leadership resilience needed for these times of uncertainty. The fellowship involves twice-weekly cohort events that include leadership workshops, skills training and discussions with guest experts. Applicants must have at least five years of full-time professional journalism experience, but NOTE: applicants do not require college degrees or experience in traditional newsrooms. Stanford offers: tuition; a stipend of $125,000; advice on securing housing; and Stanford health insurance.

The deadline is 15th January, 1 pm PT.

Richard C. Longworth Media Fellowships - $10,000 to $20,000 grants for journalists based in Chicago and the Midwest focusing on global issues that are relevant to their local audiences. To be eligible, field reporting must be conducted from international locations and the selected topics should be timely and of clear interest and importance to audiences in Chicago and the Midwest. The fellowships are open to print, broadcast, and online journalists. Staff or freelancers are welcome to apply, but applicants should be able to demonstrate a committed interest from editors and/or producers.

The deadline is 15th January.

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.

Press Forward’s Open Call on Infrastructure - an open call focusing on strengthening the infrastructure of the local news industry in the U.S. Applicants must be IRS 501(c)(3) U.S. based nonprofits. Press Forward is seeking to fund solutions to the common challenges that outlets face in sustainably creating and disseminating local news. They are particularly seeking scalable, replicable or new ideas, tools or technology that will help multiple independent local newsrooms address their four priority areas: Audience, Operations, People, and Revenue. Successful proposals will be bold ideas that benefit multiple organisations, build stronger shared infrastructure at the national, regional or local level, and/or have the potential to impact the sector at large. They expect most grants will range from $500,000 to $1,500,000 over three years, though awards may fall outside of this range.

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

LA Radio Club Reporter In Residence - LA Radio Club is looking to work with Southern California based reporters to make short-form 3-5 minute audio documentaries with a hyperlocal focus. Participants receive a $200 stipend (as a "licensing fee,” reporters will retain rights to their work); receive editorial support; have their story air on the "LARC Presents" podcast and KCHUNG radio station; meet with LARC's partner outlets to pitch the story for distribution on their platforms; and are profiled in LA Radio Club’s newsletter and social media channels. Applicants must be over the age of 18.

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

O'Brien Fellowship In Public Service Journalism - a 9-month fellowship for journalists residing in the U.S. or its territories with at least five years of professional experience to report and produce an in-depth public service journalism project on a regional, national or international topic. Successful applicants receive a $75,000 salary stipend and additional support. Fellows traditionally are in residence at the O’Brien newsroom in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but they also take remote or partially remote applications. They offer additional stipends for fellows with family and relocation requirements, and a $9000 travel and research stipend. Applicants may be connected to print operations, radio, television, websites, podcasts, online publications, wire services, or magazines of general public interest. Freelance or staff journalists are welcome to apply, but they must have an outlet to broadcast or publish their project. There are no academic prerequisites.

The deadline is 19th 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 20th 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 21st January.

NPR’s Next Gen Radio - free week-long intensive digital media training with a focus on narrative audio. Each selected participant is paired with a professional journalist and together they find, report, and produce a 3:30 to 4-minute-long non-narrated audio story. Anyone new to audio can apply — college students, recent graduates, people who have just started their own podcasts, and those looking to change careers. Selected participants also receive a stipend for their work that week. The programmes are digital-first, meaning they can be done remotely. You can read my Spotlight on NPR Next Gen here. There are various Next Gen applications, each with different requirements. You can apply to any programme at any time, but the project with an upcoming deadline is:

Oregon Public Broadcasting, 23rd - 28th February, for applicants living no more than an hour’s drive from the headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

The deadline is 26th January, midnight PT.

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 27th January, 11:59 pm ET.

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 28th 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 builds skills and resilience in the following areas: Security, Legal, Journalism and Entrepreneurship. They cover essential expenses (i.e. housing, food, transportation) with a living stipend of $2000. English proficiency is required.

The deadline is 30th January, midnight.

Hillman Prize (United States) - a free-to-enter award honouring excellent U.S. 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 should be widely accessible to a U.S. audience. 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. Prize winners receive $5000.

The deadline is 30th January, 11:59 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. 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. All award winners receive a certificate and a $1000 prize.

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

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.

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.

White House Correspondents’ Association Scholarship - a $5000 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 31st January.

AAJA Executive Leadership Program Asia - a development programme cultivated to grow mid-career Asian American journalists as news leaders, managers and executives who can thrive in uncertain times and build a sustainable future for journalism. The programme explores the responsibilities and challenges of a media workplace, leading in a changing landscape and the role of cultural values in a corporate environment. They offer career coaching and mentorship in the form of a small group pairing with a senior news leader at a major media company. They connect successful applicants with industry peers and leaders from Asia and the United States.

The deadline is 31st January.

The Deadline Club Awards Contest - awards for news organisations in New York City. They have three Radio and Audio reporting categories (news, feature and investigative). Entrants must be employees or freelancers for news organisations with an office within a 50-mile radius of Columbus Circle in New York City. The entry fee is $120 ($90 early bird).

The early bird deadline is 31st January, 11:59 pm ET; the regular deadline is 12th February, 11:59 pm ET.

Nieman Visiting Fellowship (United States) - 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.

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.

NYU’s Urban Journalism Workshop - a 10-day intensive workshop designed to help develop underrepresented students in New York City into the next generation of great journalists. Students must be over the age of 16 and living and attending high school in the New York City metropolitan area. The workshop will take place at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University from 14th - 23rd July.

The deadline is 31st January.

The Autistic Voices Oral History Project Fellowship - a U.S. based fellowship programme which aims to expand understanding of neurodiversity, foster collective and accessible community documentation of the Autistic lived experience and advocacy movement, and enhance the fields of archives and oral history. There are two fellowships: The Autistic Community Fellowship, which is open to Autistic community members and will build a more representative historical record by centering Autistic narratives and empowering Autistic people to play an active role in capturing and preserving their community’s memory; and the The Memory Workers Fellowship, which will train non-Autistic (allistic) and Autistic professionals working in archives, libraries, and oral history, as well as students, on neuro-affirming practices, cross-neurotype communication, and Autistic culture. Fellows will participate in a workshop, conduct two oral history interviews, and participate in ongoing cohort activities. Fellows will be compensated with $3000 and interviewees will be compensated with $300.

The deadline is 31st 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 31st January.

Knight-Wallace Arts Journalism Fellowship (United States) - a yearlong fellowship at the University of Michigan designed to underscore the importance of arts reporting and criticism in American journalism. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have a minimum of five years of experience, and currently be working in journalism. They are looking for a diverse range of journalists, including reporters, editors, data experts, visual journalists, audio producers, engagement specialists, designers, developers, entrepreneurs and organisational change agents. The fellow will pursue an ambitious journalism project related to the arts, during which they will have access to university courses, research and art creation across various disciplines. The fellow will receive a $85,000 living stipend, a $5000 relocation reimbursement, and health insurance coverage for the academic year. The successful applicant will be expected to relocate to the Ann Arbor area for the academic year to study on campus.

The deadline is 1st February.

Higher Ed Media Fellowship - a 6-month, non-residential programme for early- and mid-career journalists from U.S. based news outlets who are looking to complete Career and Technical Education (CTE) reporting projects. Topics could include data sourcing and analysis, best practices for solutions journalism, and the intersection of postsecondary education and civic learning. They accept applicants from print, online, TV, and radio news outlets. Each fellow will receive $10,000 ($5000 as a stipend and $5000 towards their proposed reporting project). The fellowship begins with an expense-paid postsecondary CTE symposium in Durham, North Carolina, from 28th - 30th April.

The deadline is 1st February, 11:59 pm ET.

Scripps Howard Awards - a recognition of the best in American journalism from television stations, networks, radio and podcasts, visual media, online media outlets, independent producers, newspapers and print publications. They have an Award for Excellence in Audio Storytelling. They also have other thematic categories which allow for audio submissions. Applications cost $75, except the Distinguished Service to the First Amendment category which is free. The prize for each category is $10,000 and a trophy.

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

Report for America Journalist Program - a 2-year national service programme (with an optional third year) that places emerging journalists in U.S. based local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities. They are looking for applicants with one to three years of experience and a strong commitment to public service. Entrants must be eligible to work in the United States. They place journalists in newsrooms of all types, including radio. You can see their interactive database of radio job openings, newsrooms, and beats here.

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

Spencer Fellowship for Education Reporting - a 1-year fellowship at Columbia Journalism School for four journalists and educators of all disciplines who want to develop and publish an ambitious long-form project that advances public understanding of education. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. There are residential and non-residential fellowship options. Residential fellows receive an $85,000 scholarship for personal living expenses and non-residential fellows receive a $43,000 stipend. Both fellows receive $7500 for project expenses and one-on-one mentorship with a full-time faculty mentor from the Journalism School. Only residential fellows will receive Columbia’s basic student health insurance. A college degree is not required to apply.

The deadline is 4th February.

Georgia Council for the Arts Project Grant - between $1000 and $5000 of funding for artists based in Georgia (U.S.) for single art projects such as an art exhibit, a theatre production, a series of workshops for children, or an artist residency. This includes media arts presentations (film, video, and audio). Applicants can be non-profit organisations, government entities, public libraries, schools and colleges/universities. Applicants also can apply for capacity building projects, such as developing a strategic plan, creating a development plan, or providing professional development. They require a 50% match of the grant request amount.

The deadline is 7th February, 11:59 pm ET.

AAJA Journalism Excellence Awards - a recognition of outstanding storytelling and in-depth reporting by members of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) that moves the journalism industry and cultural understandings forward. NOTE: The AAJA is open to all journalists, regardless of ethnic or racial identity. Special consideration is given to excellent journalism about the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, in the U.S. or abroad. They have several categories for audio, including Student Excellence in Audio Storytelling. Staff or freelance journalists can apply.

The deadline is 12th February.

KALW Summer Academy - a 3.5-month paid audio journalism programme in San Francisco. Successful applicants will work one day a week in their newsroom (in person); the pay is $20/hr. There will also be four seminars every Wednesday evening in June, which is free/unpaid training. The programme runs from the end of May through mid-September. If you’re not able to commit for the full duration of the programme, some exceptions may be possible, just mention it in the application. At the end of the programme, they will invite everyone to pitch at least one original 6-minute feature story for their daily show Crosscurrents, which (if selected) would be a paid opportunity.

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

KCUR's Aviva Okeson-Haberman Internship Program (Summer) - an educational programme that provides U.S. based students, recent graduates and other potential journalists with skills, relationships and resources that will help them pursue careers in public media, journalism and/or non-profits. Internships pay $15 per hour, and interns may receive academic credit if an agreement is made between KCUR and the intern's college or university.

The deadline is 23rd February.

NABJ-ESPN Stuart Scott Internship - a paid 10-week summer internship for U.S. based students interested in sports journalism, hosted by ESPN and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). They provide a $3500 stipend to help housing costs. The awardee will also receive an all expenses paid trip to the 2024 NABJ Convention & Career Fair in Chicago, Illinois, from 6th - 10th August. Applicants must be an NABJ student member in good standing.

The deadline is 28th February, midnight ET.

NASA Audio Storytelling Internship - a 10- to 16- week summer internship for around 10 students or recent graduates at NASA to help them craft compelling audio content for a new, short-form podcast. The role is full-time, 40 hours/week and they accept undergraduates, Master’s or Doctoral students (or those who have graduated within 6 months of the internship start date). They will gain on-the-job experience to research, script and produce audio stories about some of NASA's missions. They’ll pitch new episode ideas and follow them from conception to completion. Interns will identify one track to focus on during the summer — multimedia production, broadcast news, science or tech writing, audio storytelling/podcasting, visitor center and public engagement, strategic and internal communications, or NASA en Español. The position is at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and it is a hybrid role; interns are expected to be on campus for 3 to 5 days a week. They pay a stipend of around $10,000 for undergrads (for 10 weeks), or $13,000 for graduates (for 16 weeks). The internship takes place between June and August.

The deadline is 28th February.

NABJ Scholarships - $2500 funding from the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for 25 students who have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in journalism and media, a record of community service, and who are in need of financial support. Applicants must be: a current NABJ student member in good standing (student memberships cost $40); an undergraduate sophomore, junior or senior/graduate student with at least one full year of school remaining at the time of the application, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above; at an accredited U.S. college or university.

The deadline is 28th February, midnight PT.

Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship - a 10-month full-time residence fellowship at the Council on Foreign Relation’s (CFR) headquarters in New York for a distinguished foreign correspondent or editor. Applicants must be U.S. citizens who have covered international news as a working journalist for print, broadcast, or online media widely available in the U.S. The programme awards a stipend of $100,000 as well as a modest travel grant (unspecified). The fellow is considered an independent contractor rather than an employee of CFR and is not eligible for employment benefits, including health insurance.

The deadline is 1st March.

Ted Scripps Fellowship in Environmental Journalism - a 1-year fellowship at the University of Colorado for U.S. based journalists to deepen their understanding of environmental issues, hone their craft, and enjoy a break from deadlines while living at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Fellows will audit classes and pursue an independent project of their own design — podcasts are on the list of accepted projects. They’ll also attend weekly seminars and participate in field trips to world-renowned institutions to learn more about environmental science and policy. Fellows receive a stipend of $80,000 and will travel (expenses paid) to the Society of Environmental Journalists annual conference. Applicants must hold a current visa and be authorised to work in the U.S.

The deadline is 1st March, 11:59 pm MT.

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 deadline is 6th March, 11:59 pm ET.

SPJ New America Awards - celebrating public service journalism that explores and exposes issues of importance to immigrant or ethnic communities in the United States. They have an audio category. Entries may be in any language — however, English translations must be supplied for non-English entries. Entries cost $40 for SPJ members, $60 for non-members.

The deadline is 11th March, 11:59 pm ET.

AAJA Community Awards - a celebration of the work of Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) members. The categories are: Member of the Year, Chapter of the Year, Affinity Group of the Year, Mentor of the Year, Changemaker of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award and Emerging Journalist of the Year — for a student or early-career member with no more than 5 years of professional experience. There are also Civic Engagement & Leadership Awards, including one that allows for non English-language media and one with a $5000 cash prize and a $500 travel stipend to attend AAJA’s annual convention.

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

Black Male Journalism Workshop - a 1-week training programme at New York University which seeks to identify and rectify the underrepresentation of African American males in newsrooms across the U.S. The Black Male Journalism Workshop welcomes all U.S. college students who appreciate the programme’s mission, regardless of their identity or background, though Black males with aligned interests and career goals are particularly encouraged to apply. During the workshop students will receive hands-on instruction from NYU faculty and visiting professionals and get the opportunity to report and produce their own multimedia stories. The programme runs from 2nd to 8th June. NYU provides the training, housing, meals and transportation. Students must have completed their freshman year by summer 2024.

The deadline is 15th March.

Philadelphia Student Mediamaker Fund (Spring) - grants for student media makers who want to produce a digital video or audio project. Students must be in eastern Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, Northampton, Bucks, and Lehigh counties), New Jersey (Camden, Burlington, Mercer, Gloucester and Salem counties) or Delaware (New Castle and Kent counties). Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 30. The grant money must be used within five months. They offer up to $1000 for undergraduates, $1500 for graduates and $1000 for a maker affiliated with a Philadelphia regional media making training institution.

The deadline is 15th March.

The Wes Vernon Broadcast Scholarship - a scholarship of $5000 from the The National Press Club (NPC) awarded annually to a student in the U.S. who demonstrates a commitment to a career in broadcast journalism. The award can be renewed up to three years, for a total of $20,000 toward educational expenses.

The deadline was 16th March.

The Richard G. Zimmerman Scholarship - a one-time $5000 scholarship from the The National Press Club (NPC) for a high school senior in the U.S. who is in the process of applying to an accredited college or university in the U.S. and wishes to pursue a career in journalism. Applicants must have a 3.0 and above grade-point average.

The deadline was 16th March.

The Scholarship for Journalism Diversity Honoring Julie Schoo - a scholarship of $5000 from the National Press Club (NPC) awarded annually to a high school senior who appears to be a promising future journalist who will bring diversity to American journalism. The award can be renewed up to three years, for a total of $20,000 toward educational expenses. Applicants must: be in the process of applying to an accredited college or university in the U.S.; have a 3.0 grade-point average or higher; and plan to pursue a career in journalism.

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

Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Art Project Grant for Individuals - up to $4000 for artists within Itasca county who create work in any arts discipline at any stage of their career. The grant offers funding for costs associated with the exhibition, performance, or production of creative work, purchase of materials or equipment to create works of art, overcome a barrier to long term success, reach a new community or market, educational opportunities in the arts (excluding academic credit), and other opportunities to enhance the applicant’s artistic development, such as working with a mentor artist, attending a conference, taking part in an artist residency programme, or marketing themselves or their work. Applicants must be a permanent resident (for at least 6 months) in Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, or St. Louis counties as well as the Fond du Lac , Grand Portage, Bois Forte, or Leech Lake nations. Applicants must be over the age of 18.

The deadline is 16th March, 11:59 pm CT.

Artist Trust Arts Innovator Award - unrestricted $25,000 awards given to two Washington State-based artists of any discipline who are creating new, original work; experimenting with new ideas; taking risks; and pushing the boundaries of their fields. Applicants must be over the age of 18 with a minimum of five years of experience in professional art practice.

The deadline is 17th March, 11:59 pm PT.

Europe

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 15th January.

The Regional Media Contest (Ukraine) - a competition supporting Ukrainian education and youth projects in both the European Union and Ukraine, with the objective of facilitating the development of a talent pool of young people engaged in Ukraine’s recovery and European integration. Journalists from regional and local print and online media, TV/radio studios, and social media influencers with established communication channels and consistent audiences are invited to apply. They allow for up to 10 minutes for radio stories or podcasts. Entries are expected to address the role and importance of the European Union’s support for Ukrainian education and youth. The prize for first place is a Bluetti charge station, second place is a tablet and third place is a multifunctional power bank.

The deadline is 15th 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 2025 to June 2026. 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 15th January.

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 17th January.

Investigation Grants for Environmental Journalism - project-based grants for a cross-border team of professional journalists and/or news outlets to conduct investigations into environmental affairs related to continental Europe. This round, The Investigation Grants for Environmental Journalism are giving out €400,000 in total. There is no limit to the amount you can request as long as the budget seems reasonable for the project. Successful applicants can also apply for mentorship. The final project can be published in any language.

The next deadline is 23rd January, 1 pm CET.

European Cross-Border Grants - funds for a cross-border team of at least two journalists to complete an investigative project. Most cross-border grants vary from €2000 - €14,000 per project, but there is no limit to apply for. Applicants must have at least two letters of intent from professional news outlets who are willing to publish the result of their investigation. Projects can be in any language, but the application must be in English. Although the majority of projects are print, they have supported podcast work before. The grant happens four times a year.

The next deadline is 23rd 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 is worth €2000, which is shared between the winners of the two categories: Written (print/web) and Audiovisual category (video/radio). The jury will also award a separate “Seed of Innovation” prize worth €700. Applications must be in French.

The deadline is 31st January.

FPD Science Grant - funds for in-depth Dutch-language investigative science journalism in Belgium. They are seeking original and innovative proposed projects that cannot be realised through regular journalistic channels. The results of the research must be published in a Belgian media outlet. There is no limit to the budget you can suggest.

The next deadline is 6th February, 1 pm CET.

FPD Low Countries Grant - funds for investigative journalists from Belgium and The Netherlands who want to collaborate for a cross-border local investigation. The proposed project must be published in at least one Dutch-language medium in Belgium and in one medium in the Netherlands. Applicants must have a letter of intent for publication from at least two professional news outlets. They accept any journalistic media, including radio documentaries and podcasts. There is no limit to the budget you can suggest.

The next deadline is 6th February, 1 pm CET.

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. There is no limit to the budget you can suggest.

The next deadline is 6th February, 1 pm CET.

Professional Development Grants for Environmental Journalism - funds for activities and services propelling environmental investigative journalism in Europe. They support project ideas from incorporated legal entities for training and professional development programmes related to environmental journalism. There is no limit to the amount you can request, so long as the budget seems reasonable for the project. The total amount distributed per call for all supported projects is €84,000. The results of the projects can be published in any language.

The next deadline is 13th February, 1 pm CET.

Pluralistic Media for Democracy - a total of €1,400,000 in financial support for 40 local and regional European outlets, community media, investigative journalism, and public interest news organisations that operate in "news deserts" or areas experiencing strained media pluralism. The grant programme is open to legal entities with a registered seat in one of the EU27 countries and Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia & Serbia. The programme aims to empower media organisations to continue their critical role in upholding democracy and fostering informed public discourse across Europe through strategic support in innovation, business sustainability, and audience engagement.

The deadline is 13th February.

The Franco-German Journalism Prize - a competition celebrating outstanding journalistic work that contributes to a better understanding of Franco-German and European relations. This could be France-related topics from a German perspective, European issues from the perspective of either of the two countries, or Franco-German topics from the perspective of a third country. Audio can be submitted in three categories: News, Documentary, Investigation. Category winners receive €6000. The prize is open to all authors and editorial teams irrespective of whether they are working freelance, for public sector or commercial media. Submissions must be in German or French, or containing a German or French “summary.”

The deadline is 1st March.

SoJo Europe - a training, grant, and mentoring programme for small European media news outlets, especially those serving underrepresented groups. The programme aims to create a cross-European solutions journalism knowledge hub and encourage systemic cooperation between professional news media organisations. In the initial stage of the programme, no money will be distributed, but members of the cohort will have the exclusive opportunity to apply for funding for their investigative projects that focus on climate change and integrate solutions journalism. The media outlets must be legally registered in any of the Creative Europe participating countries (EU27, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Ukraine). The result of the journalistic investigations can be published in any language.

The next deadline is 6thMarch.

United Kingdom + Ireland

Reform Radio Video Podcast Production Course - a free Skills Bootcamp in Video Podcast Production from Reform Radio for 19 to 30 year olds who are unemployed, freelance/self-employed and living in Great Manchester (or employed people who are looking for new work in the creative and cultural sector). Travel and refreshments are provided. The programme takes a hands-on approach, responding to real creative briefs and producing a piece of 5-10 minute content from development, through pitching and production, to post production and showcase. The aim of the programme is to support people into a paid role in the Creative and Cultural Sector. The class takes place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 21st January to the 27th of March, from 6 pm to 9 pm. No prior experience is needed.

The deadline is ASAP.

NAE’s Residency Programme - a residency programme in Nottingham, United Kingdom, that provides artists, creatives, collectives and groups from the Global Ethnic Majority with time, space and resources to research and develop new ideas whilst collaborating with the New Art Exchange’s (NAE) team and connecting with communities. Successful applicants will have free access to their newly refurbished Studio space for up to eight weeks and a bursary of £4000, along with mentoring and profile-raising support from NAE. Each artist is required to: use the studio a minimum of 2-3 days per week; have regular check-ins with the programme lead; document their time and complete an evaluation and financial summary. They welcome applications from practitioners that are not specifically related to art practices but engage with the art and culture sector as a tool within their work. They also welcome applications that focus on the production of a new piece of work, but this isn’t a required outcome.

The deadline is 15th January, 12 pm GMT.

BBC Apprenticeships - Level 3 apprenticeships at BBC Introducing, BBC Radio and BBC Audio in U.K. cities aimed at non-graduates. The pay is £21,840 per annum with a £5318 London weighting. Cities include Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Newcastle, Northampton, Salford, Suffolk, York and many more. There are also a number of Level 7 Apprenticeships in audio in Glasgow.

The deadline is 17th January.

Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS) - awards for U.K. based audio and radio, held by the Radio Academy. They have 21 categories, including Best New Presenter. Entries will be priced at £45 for early bird entry and £65 after that. You must be a member of the Radio Academy to enter (£36/year).

The early bird deadline is 22nd January, 11:59 pm GMT; the regular deadline is 12th February, 11:59 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.

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 29th January, 12 pm GMT.

ABSW Awards - awards celebrating reporting on science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) or their impacts by British- and Ireland-based journalists and writers. Works should be published within the U.K. or Ireland and be intended for their audiences and accessible to the general public. They have many awards that accept all formats, including audio, such as the Steve Connor Award for Investigative Journalism and Newcomer of the Year, for journalists who have published their first “professional” piece within the past three years. There is also one audio specific award for an audio programme or podcast where STEM is the primary issue covered. The awards are free to enter for Members of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), and non-members can enter with a fee of £55 per category. Winners of each category receive £500.

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

The BBC Comedy Collective Bursary - a bursary scheme offering 10 places to up-and-coming U.K. based writers, producers, directors and editors who’d like to develop their careers in scripted comedy. The scheme is open to anyone who has had at least one previous credit in writing, producing, directing or editing in any genre and across any platform, including radio and podcasts. Within the 10 places at least one will be guaranteed for an individual based in Scotland, one in Northern Ireland and two from Wales. Each bursary winner will receive up to £10,000 worth of paid shadowing on a BBC Comedy production, along with an allocated production mentor, as well as a £5000 development grant to put towards new material or to further support development. In addition, the bursary winners will have their expenses covered to attend up to three BBC Comedy events over their year on the scheme. Applicants must be over the age of 18. NOTE: Entrants retain the copyright in all material samples sent to the BBC but if successful the BBC has an exclusive first option of the samples and any further materials created as a result of the Bursary Fee for a period of 18 months from the date of selection.

The deadline is 31st January, midnight 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 31st January.

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 31st January, 11:59 pm GMT.

Charles Parker Prize - a free-to-enter award for student audio storytelling in the U.K. from accredited media training courses. Ten pieces are shortlisted and the top five are awarded a slot on BBC Radio 4 as part of the New Creatives programming. The shortlisted makers receive mentorship to adapt the programme for the radio and a small fee (unspecified) for the adaptation. The work must have been produced between 13th February 2024 and 10th February 2025 and be between 10 and 15 minutes in duration. Entries must not have been previously broadcast on a national broadcasting network. The Prize is not open to paid employees of audio production companies or radio stations.

The deadline is 10th February, 11:59 pm GMT.

The Wincott Awards - free to enter awards for business, economic and financial journalism which is primarily for a U.K. audience. There are seven Wincott Awards with monetary rewards from £1500 - £5000, including Audio Journalism of the Year. They have a Young Journalist of the Year category for the best individual journalist under the age of 30, working in any medium.

The deadline was 28th February.

Cove Park Bridge Awards Residencies - five fully-funded, 1-week 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 19th May to 29th May. Applicants can be at any stage of their creative career, and working in any art form or creative discipline.

The deadline is 28th February.

Canada

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 up to $20,000 for expenses and up to $30,000 additional funding to hire an early-career journalist and/or to travel to remote communities. 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 $10,000 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 - offered to a BIPOC student in their final year of a Canadian undergraduate journalism programme. Fellows receive an annual bursary of CAD $5000.

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 24th 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 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 deadlines are 24th January, 11:59 pm ET.

Le Prix En-Tête pour le Reportage en Santé Mentale chez les Jeunes - a free-to-enter award celebrating significant works of public interest journalism that advances public awareness of significant issues involving young people's mental health. The term "young people" includes children, youth and young adults. Work must be published or broadcast in French-speaking Canadian media, whether national or local. Applicants can be freelance or staff. The prize is CAD $1000.

The deadline is 24th January.

The Mindset Award for Reporting on Young People's Mental Health - a free-to-enter award celebrating significant works of public interest journalism published or broadcast in English-speaking Canadian media that advances public awareness of significant issues involving young people's mental health. The term "young people" includes children, youth and young adults. Applicants can be freelance or staff. The prize is CAD $1000.

The deadline is 24th February, 5 pm ET.

The Mindset Award for Workplace Mental Health Reporting - a free-to-enter award celebrating significant works of public interest journalism published or broadcast in English-speaking Canadian media that advance public awareness or understanding of significant issues involving workplace mental health. Applicants can be freelance or staff. The prize is CAD $1000.

The deadline is 24th February, 5 pm ET.

The Mark Rosenfeld Fellowship in Higher Education Journalism - a fellowship which supports in-depth and innovative journalism centred on higher education in Canada. They provide CAD $10,000 for research and reporting, hired equipment, and travel. If necessary, The Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) will also provide editorial support. It is open to Canadians, permanent residents in Canada, and non-Canadians holding a valid work permit. Full-time, part-time, and freelance journalists (including students) can apply. Podcasts are an accepted medium for the project. Applications can be submitted in either English or French.

The deadline is 7th March.

Africa

Media Literacy Training for West African Young Professionals - media literacy training for young African people aged 18-30 years old who are from civil society, education, the public or private sector, academia and/or any other non-journalism fields. The workshops cover how to better understand AI, disinformation and media literacy. Successful applicants will also have the opportunity to develop compelling and engaging digital projects that increase responsible civic engagement and combat false narratives in the region. They accept applications from the following countries: Côte D'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry, Togo, Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria.

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

Gender Links Media Parity Capacity Building Programme - an opportunity for media outlets based in Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Lesotho or Zambia who are interested in strengthening their positioning and resilience by enhancing gender perspectives in reporting, appealing to diverse audiences, and ensuring a safe, professional work environment for everyone. Organisations must: be involved in radio, television, print or online journalism; currently operating; be in existence for at least three years; have staff of at least five journalists; and have a politically independent editorial line. The Media Parity programme will work with selected media outlets to build journalists capacity in gender inclusive reporting through workshops and mentorship, as well as professional development workshops and activities for safer, respectful and professional media workplaces. Small reporting grants (unspecified) will support journalists to produce stories in collaboration with the project team. The programme involves a 2-day regional inception workshop; a 5-day training workshop; follow-up mentorship; and professional development.

The deadline is 31st January.

BBC Sounds Audio Lab - a 7-month podcast accelerator for U.K. based creators to create a multi-part series with BBC Sounds. The scheme involves a placement at BBC Audio North in Salford, BBC Audio Scotland and Northern Ireland (Glasgow or Belfast), Persephonica in Sheffield or Reduced Listening in London. They accept flexible working requests. The salary is £27,800 pro rata with a London weighting (unspecified). They are looking for someone with some audio content-making experience, and a podcast idea that offers something new and fresh or reflects the U.K. in ways others podcasts don’t. You can read my Spotlight on BBC Sounds’s Audio Lab here.

The deadline is 11th February.

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.

The deadline is 28th February.

SADC Media Awards - a celebration of the work of journalists from The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States. The themes of the entries must be on issues and activities promoting Regional Integration in the SADC region such as infrastructure, economy, water, culture, sports, agriculture, and more. They have a Radio Journalism category. The first prize winner in each category receives $2500 and the runner-up receives $1000.

The deadline is 28th February.

The S+T+ARTS Prize Africa - a competition for works at the intersection of the arts and technology that strive towards a positive social, humanitarian, economic or political impact. The competition is open to citizens and residents of all African countries, as well as legal entities registered on the continent. They offer one Grand Prize of €15,000 and five Awards of Distinction of €3000 each. The winner of the Grand Prize will attend the Ars Electronica Festival from September 3-7 in Linz, Austria, where they will present the submitted work. There are no restrictions on artistic disciplines. They accept completed works or works in progress that are far enough along for the jury to be able to assess their quality and the likelihood of their successful implementation.

The deadline is 5th March.

Latin America + The Caribbean

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$3000, the second is R$2000 and the third is R$1000.

The deadline is 31st January.

Connectas Fellowship - $1000 to $3000 production grants offering reporters in a Latin American and Caribbean country the opportunity to conduct in-depth journalistic research with the editorial support of an experienced transnational team and financial support to produce the story. There are no restrictions on topic or format, they are interested in good stories (although they also state that they are looking for “proposals that expose cases of corruption, misuse of public resources, organised crime, human rights violations, abuse of power against vulnerable groups or crimes against the environment and that have a high impact,” and that “all publications must include audiovisual, multimedia or storytelling elements”). They support journalists with more than three years of experience, with a clear idea of ​​what they want to investigate and committed to producing an in-depth report. The proposal must be in Spanish.

The deadline is 2nd February.

INAC Integrity Prize - a competition honouring news reporting that contributes to counteracting corruption in Brazil. Journalists can enter the Investigative Journalism and Local Communication categories, while journalism students can enter the Academic category. They accept works published in audio, video image or text formats. There is one Grand Prize.

The deadline is 15th February.

Wiki Loves Popular Culture Contest - a competition for photographers, videographers and audio producers to highlight Brazilian culture in its various forms. Participants can submit photos, audio clips and video containing dance, music, food and any other elements of culture in Brazil. The five top winners will receive prizes ranging from BRL 500 to BRL 2500.

The deadline is 28th February.

Oceania

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. 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 2025 IRE Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The best category winner is selected as the Gold Quill winner, receiving an $8000 prize. 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, 5 pm AEDT.

Government of South Australia Professional Development Grants - up to $15,000 of funding for the professional development of individual, independent artists and arts workers in South Australia to undertake skills development and training that is relevant to their professional practice. Applicants must be Australian citizens or have permanent resident status, living in South Australia six months or more per year. You can apply for: mentoring, short courses, work placement, masterclasses, workshops, conference attendance, arts residencies, festivals and internships, although NOTE: in the case of residencies the host organisation is expected to make a significant contribution towards a grantee’s placement.

The deadline is 3rd February, 5 pm ACDT.

Community Broadcasting Foundation Grants - content grants which increase and diversify the voices heard in Australian media by supporting the creation of compelling content. They have Specialist Radio Programming Grants for stations producing content that meets the needs of particular communities. This funding is intended to encourage stations to: serve people with a print disability, create programmes to serve a defined local ethnic community, and create First Nations Australian programmes. They also have Development and Operations grants, Quick Response grants, and Sector Investment grants.

The deadline is 4th March, 2 pm AEDT.

Middle East

Daleel Madani Voices from the Field: Supporting Independent Reporting in Lebanon - training workshops by Democracy Reporting International (DRI) for 15 Lebanon-based young journalists, designed to help them shed light on political reform, civic space expansion, and societal issues. There are four training workshops, scheduled to take place between March and July 2025, on topics such as investigative reporting, digital storytelling, psychological first aid, AI tools for journalists, field security, media workers’ rights and conditions, whistleblower protection laws. Successful applicants will also create media content which focuses on liberties, democratic rights, migration and internal displacement, political and region-specific issues during and post-crisis/war. Outputs will include media articles, digital audio and video content, investigative reports, short documentaries, reels, and more. This will be published in collaboration with independent media outlets such as Manateq.net, Megaphone, Daraj, NAQD Media, Raseef22, Sharika Wa Laken, and others. Applicants must have: a university degree in journalism, communications, political studies, law, or a related field; 4-5 years of experience in political news outlets or journalism on relevant topics; proven ability to produce community-based media stories and fluency in Arabic.

The deadline is 20th January, 11:59 pm EET.

Women in News Skills Enhancement Program - an intensive 9-month programme that aims to provide professional development and leadership for 150 mid- to senior-level female journalists and editors from Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine who are working in the Arab world. Participants must have at least two to three years of experience in people or operations management, and be working in the media sector — print, digital, radio and in some cases broadcasting.

The deadline is 31st January.

Asia

SOPA Awards - a celebration of quality journalism in English, Chinese and Bahasa Indonesia from across the Asia-Pacific region organisations that distribute widely in the region, organised by The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA). They have an Excellence in Audio Reporting category, as well as other categories that allow for audio entries. Submissions cost between HK$900 ($115) and HK$1700 ($220) depending on language, membership status and whether the reporting is local or global.

The deadline is 13th February, 3 pm HKT.

Shorenstein Journalism Award - a celebration of excellent work by an Asian news media outlet or a journalist whose work has primarily appeared in Asian news media in the Asia-Pacific region. The award defines the Asia-Pacific region as encompassing Northeast, Southeast, South, and Central Asia, as well as Australasia. The award comes with a prize of $10,000. Self-nominations are not accepted. Nominees’ work may be in print or broadcast journalism or in emerging forms of multimedia journalism.

The deadline is 15th February, 11:59 pm PT.

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

If you have any upcoming resources you can submit them via this form or via email to allhear [at] transom [dot] org. The next newsletter comes out on Thursday 13th February, so for any upcoming opportunities please reach out before Friday 7th February.

All Hear is edited by Jennifer Jerrett and Sydney Lewis.

Copyright © Talia Augustidis, all rights reserved.

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