The 2024 MJA Awards are now open to entry

There are £750 cash prizes and a trophy to be won in 16 categories, including a brand new award for ‘Health and Climate Change’ supported by Haleon, and the second year of our ‘Student Journalist of the Year Award’ with a £250 cash prize and a trophy. 

The Awards will remain open to entry until 00:01 on Saturday June 1, 2024.  

Work submitted will need to have been first published/broadcast on or between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024. 

Winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony on Wednesday September 11 2024 at a brand new venue for the MJA Awards: 17th Floor, The News Building, 1 London Bridge St, London SE1 9GF.

We would like to thank our awards sponsors ABPI, Christine Webber, Doctor’s Association UK, Edelman, Haleon, JPA Health, Real Chemistry, Roche, and Virgo.

 
 

To discuss sponsorship opportunities or learn more about the benefits of partnering with the MJA, please email us at

Award Categories 2024

Student Journalist of the Year
The Gordon McVie Award for reporting cancer research — supported by Roche
Newcomer of the Year
Mental Health Story of the Year — supported by Edelman
The Dr David Delvin Award for sex and sexual health journalism — supported by Christine Webber
NEW AWARD: Health and Climate Change Award supported by Haleon
Podcast of the Year
Feature of the Year (specialist audience) supported by Doctor’s Association UK
Feature of the Year (broadcast)
Feature of the Year (general audience)
News Story of the Year (specialist audience) supported by Real Chemistry
News Story of the Year (broadcast) supported by Virgo
News Story of the Year (general audience) supported by JPA Health
Case Study of the Year
Science Explained
Freelance of the Year
Editor of the Year supported by ABPI

Make sure your entry has been submitted

When you submit your entry, you will be taken to a confirmation and payment page – if you are returned to this page scroll down to the entry form as you will have missed out a required field.  The only guarantee that your entry has been successfully submitted is the confirmation email that you will receive, containing a copy of your entry.  If after checking spam you can not find a confirmation email please get in touch

Scroll down for the online entry form but ensure you have read the guidance provided here first before completing the form.

Category Guidance

Case Study – These add human interest to complex medical stories making them more relevant to readers, listeners, and viewers or be used to explore or raise awareness of a condition or health problem. You may submit anonymous but not composite case studies (NB: composite means an article that does not distinguish between the individual, anonymous cases being referenced). (One piece of work may be submitted – any format).

The Dr David Delvin Award for sex and sexual health journalism – this award is being made in memory of Dr David Delvin, and has been made possible through the support of his widow Christine Webber. The award is for an article, TV or radio programme that gives good information about sex and sexual health for the general reader/viewer. The work should be accessible, accurate and well written to provide clear information and advice, as David strongly believed that if a person’s sex life is going well, their chance of being a happy, well-balanced and contented individual is much greater. (One piece of work may be submitted – any format).

Editor of the Year – The category is for editors not only of publications, but of health pages/sections, websites, or sections of larger websites. Please supply evidence of both your personal impact and your title’s, and the achievements of which you are proudest. (Three pieces of work may be submitted – any format).

Feature and News (general) – these are features or news story for a general, consumer audience. Mention if your story was exclusive or followed up elsewhere. (One piece of work may be submitted – written word only)

Feature and News (specialist) – these are features or news story for a specialist audience, usually appearing in a publication dedicated to health, medicine or science. Mention if your story was exclusive or followed up elsewhere. (One piece of work may be submitted – written word only)

Features (broadcast) – a longer piece in a more in depth or documentary style (either in a news/magazine programme or a stand-alone piece) that has been broadcast on TV, radio or online. The pictures, sound effects, interviews, editing, research and resources available/budget will be considered. Judges will also consider the time available to tell the story and amount of information and content conveyed within this time frame. It needs to be original material that has been edited together. (One piece of work may be submitted – broadcast only)

Freelance of the Year – judges will be asked to consider the range of work submitted, ability to adapt to different genres and to look for imaginative and engaging story-telling. (Three pieces of work may be submitted – any format)

The Gordon McVie Award for reporting cancer research – judges will look for complex or emerging cancer research stories made clear for a lay or specialist audience. Matching explanation to audience is vital. (One piece of work may be submitted – any format).

NEW AWARD: Health and Climate Change – News, features, or broadcast package may be entered about this area of health often neglected by the media. It could be tied to a campaign, about emerging science, a case study, or an interview with a leading figure in health and climate change. (One piece of work may be submitted – any format)

Mental Health – News, features, or broadcast package may be entered about this area of medicine often neglected by the media. It could be tied to a campaign, about emerging science, a case study, or an interview with a leading figure in mental health. (One piece of work may be submitted – any format)

Newcomer –Entrants will have been working in health and medical journalism for under 36 months (not before 30 April 2021). Judges will look for evidence of impact and engagement, topicality and balance. (One piece of work may be submitted – any format).

News (broadcast) – a short news package that has been broadcast on TV, radio or online. This needs to be original material that has been edited together, ideally no more than five minutes in length. The judges will also be considering how the package has been constructed, looking at the choice of pictures and sound effects as well as interviews. (One piece of work may be submitted – broadcast only)

Podcast – for an episode of a programme created and distributed as a podcast. One episode may be submitted for judging.  All submissions must have been available to download via RSS, or free to access and subscribable on an audio app or website and should have been first ‘published’ during the entry period. (One example of work may be submitted – audio format)

Science Explained – Judges will look for complex or emerging science stories made clear for a lay or specialist audience. Matching explanation to audience is vital. (One piece of work may be submitted – any format).

Student Journalist of the Year – Entrants will be studying at a Higher Education institution in the UK (including PhD) or have been studying in such an institution at the time of the entered work’s first publication or broadcast. Individual entry only, no team entries. (One piece of work may be submitted – any format).

Rules and Entry Guidance

  • Work submitted will need to have been first published/broadcast on or between 1 May 2023 and 30 April 2024.
  • All work entered should be health- or medicine-related.
  • The Awards are for works published within the UK or Ireland and are intended for British and Irish based journalists and writers, or those working for audiences in these two countries.
  • You can only enter once in each category.
  • You can enter more than one category (NB: an entry fee is payable by non-members for each category entered – see below).
  • You cannot enter the same work within different categories. (Exceptions to this rule apply to the Editor and Freelance categories.  Work submitted in these categories may also be entered in another category).
  • If your entry is for a team rather than for an individual, then please ensure you acknowledge the team (maximum four individuals) within the entry form ‘supportive information’ section, outlining their role in the entry clearly.  The entrant named on the form will be considered the lead entrant and receive the prize fund which of course you may share with your team. (NB: Team entries are not allowed in the Editor, Freelance, Newcomer or Student Journalist categories as these are intended to recognise individual achievements)

Outstanding issues or complaints: If there are any unresolved legal issues or complaints to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), IMPRESS of OFCOM regarding your entry you must declare it on the entry form for the information of the judges.

Acceptable file formats for your entry

NB: Free online tools are available to make PDFs from URLs and to join PDF pages of longer submissions for the required one file submission allowed on the entry form.

Cost of entry

MJA Members: Free

Non Members: £75 per entry/£20 for Student Journalist of the Year

Why not join the MJA for £55 full membership or £13 student membership and enter for free? 

For less than the cost of entering just one category you will enjoy all the benefits of membership and be able to enter as many categories as you like for free.  (NB: Membership fees are tax deductible but your entry fee is not).  Just complete our membership application form.

When completing the entry form you will be asked to indicate if you are an existing member, wish to join or wish to pay the entry fee.   If you wish to join you can either apply now or after submission of your entry. If you wish to pay the entry fee you will be requested to do this via paypal after submission of your entry.   You do not need a paypal account and can pay by credit or debit card.   Your entry will not be accepted until the fee is received.

For all queries regarding the Awards contact

We value our sponsors support but in keeping with the MJA motto — Independent and bloody minded — sponsors are not involved in the judging process in any way.  Members of the MJA Executive Committee are required to declare any intention to enter so that they can be excluded from any decision making on awards categories, rules and regulations or judging.