Start your engines for the 2026 MJA Awards. This year’s awards are due to open soon for members to submit their best work to our peerless judges.
Now is the time to start looking back at the work you’ve produced over the past year and thinking about what might just bring you a coveted shortlist position or even a chance at our cash prize for winners.
The MJA Awards are one of the few places where health and science journalism is judged by people who understand the nuance, the evidence, and the real-world impact behind every line.
So get thinking now about the investigations that shifted policy, the features that resonated with readers, the interviews that captured something others missed.
Our categories include a focus on news stories for specialist, general and broadcast as well as more specialist categories such as science explained, mental health and the Gordon McVie award for cancer reporting or the Dr David Delvin award for sex and sexual health journalism.
Our awards ceremony this year will be quite the celebration of talent, taking place at the News UK headquarters on 22nd September – so be sure to save the date.
Winning — or even being shortlisted — for an MJA award does more than add a line to your CV. It signals to editors, commissioners and sources that your work stands up to scrutiny. It shows that in a crowded and often noisy information environment, your reporting has cut through.
It also helps set the standard for the profession and health beat itself. And of course editors like to have journalists who win awards on their team.
Entry to the awards is free for MJA members. Non-members can either pay per entry or join the association for less – a route many take once they weigh the cost against the potential return and access to other MJA events and resources.
Judging panel
Behind the scenes, a significant effort is already underway to ensure that every entry is judged fairly and by the right people.
Executive committee member and awards organiser Jill Palmer said: “Behind the scenes the job of finding the judges and the sponsors is going ahead.
“My job is to find 48 judges who are willing to give their time and expertise for free to read, view and listen to the entries.
“They come from a variety of health-related backgrounds including charities, NHS bodies, professional organisations and journalism.”
She added: “It is a privilege and tremendously rewarding to help organise the awards, knowing they are held in high esteem by journalists and judges alike.”
Entries will open next week. When they do, the window will be tight and the deadline will come quickly.
As in previous years, they will be submitted via our website using the traditional form and uploading of pdfs and links.
Watch this space for further updates and keep an eye out for our new newsletter.