Enter the 2020 MJA Awards

Nicholas Owen will host the 2020 MJA Awards

The 2020 MJA Awards are now closed.  For those who have entered there are £750 cash prizes and a trophy to be won in 17 categories, including our new Podcast of the Year Award.

There is also a £1,000 Outstanding Contribution Award, which is decided by our judging panel, for the best of the best.

The deadline for entries was midnight on March 13.

Entry Guidance

This guidance is left here for information on the awards.

Scroll down for the online entry form but ensure you have read the guidance provided here first before completing the form. When you submit your entry, you will be taken to a confirmation and payment page.  However please ensure you check that you receive a confirmation email, with a copy of your entry, as this is the only guarantee that your entry has been successful.  If after checking spam you can not find a confirmation email please get in touch

The Awards will be for work first published/broadcast on or between Wednesday February 13, 2019 and Wednesday 12 February 2020.

Winners will be announced at the Awards’ ceremony on June 18 at the Barber-Surgeons’ Hall in the City of London. Our host for the night is Nicholas Owen. We would like to thank Bristol Myers-Squibb, our principal awards sponsor, and individual awards sponsors Boehringer Ingelheim, Christine Webber, Edelman, Roche, Seqirus and Wiley

To discuss sponsorship opportunities, please email us at 

Award Categories 2020

Charity Writer or Broadcaster of the Year (You may also be eligible for associate membership of the MJA)
Blogger of the Year
Podcast of the Year – new Award in 2020
Newcomer of the Year (36 or fewer months in journalism).
Regional Reporter 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
Feature of the Year (specialist audience)
Feature of the Year (broadcast)  Supported by MSD
Feature of the Year (general audience).
News Story of the Year (specialist audience)
News Story of the Year (broadcast)  Supported by Roche
News Story of the Year (general audience)  Supported by Boehringer Ingelheim
Case Study of the Year.
Science Explained  Supported by Wiley
Freelance of the Year
Editor of the Year  Supported by Seqirus
Outstanding Contribution to Health or Medical Journalism – this award is not by self entry but chosen by the judges from entries across all categories. Supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Principal Sponsor of the 2020 MJA Awards. 

Each award attracts a cash prize of £750, a trophy, and an invitation to receive your award at the MJA Awards ceremony on Thursday 18 June in London.   For the prestigious award of outstanding contribution to health or medical journalism the cash prize is £1000.

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.

Category Guidance

Blogger – This could be posts from a personal blog or posts written for a blogging platform, perhaps one linked to a publication. The judges are looking for evidence of a blogger’s impact, reader engagement (including social media ‘likes’), online hits, and reader feedback. (Three examples of work may be submitted).

Podcast – for a single programme created and distributed as a podcast, the programme may be part of a series but only one episode will be judged. Audio from the entry 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 piece of work – audio format)

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).

Charity Writer or Broadcaster – This is awarded for the best written, visual or audio communications for a charity publication and/or website. Content should engage with the charity’s audience (members, donors). This could be a case study, an interview with a patient representative or charity official, or an explanation of the latest treatment or emerging science. (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)

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)

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)

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 13 February 2016). Judges will look for evidence of impact and engagement, topicality and balance. (One piece of work may be submitted – any format).

Regional Reporter – Evidence of how a local issue or campaign was brought to life (online, in print and/or broadcast) would be useful for the judges, plus follow-ups in competitor titles or national coverage. (One piece of work may be submitted – any 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).

Rules and Entry Guidance

Work submitted will need to have been first published or broadcast on or between Wednesday February 13, 2019 and Wednesday 12 February 2020.

All work entered should be health- or medicine-related.

You can only enter once in each category.

You can enter more than one category (NB: entry fee is payable by non-members for each category entered – see below).

You cannot enter the same work within different categories.

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.

Important information on acceptable file formats for your entry

All entries need to be made digitally by URL or by file submission. URLs must be available until the end of June 2020.  If the URL is password protected the password details must be included on the entry form in the supporting information.  If you enter by file (this is the preferred option for entries behind paywalls as judges can not be required to register with websites to gain access to your entry) the entry form will only allow upload of files in PDF/MP3 format and with a maximum size of 8MB. For those who need to enter files larger than 8MB contact to organise large file transfer of your entry.  DO NOT include links to large file transfer in the form you MUST contact to transfer the file. Files uploaded to the form should be labelled/renamed with your initial, name and category eg: JBloggsBlogger.  

Cost of entry

Entries are open to all but an entry fee of £40 per entry is payable by non-members. Why not join the MJA for the same cost as entering one category – £40 – to enjoy all the benefits of membership and enter as many categories as you like for free? (Usual price of membership is £50).   Also membership fees are tax deductible but your entry fee is not.  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.  Members of the MJA may support one entry in the awards enabling a non member to enter for free.   This is so that MJA members can identify great journalism and suggest that an individual enter with their support.   You will need to name the MJA member supporting your entry on your entry form.   Please note that discounted membership associated with entry to the Awards is only available once and in subsequent years you will be expected to retain your membership at the same rate as all other renewing members (£50 annually).

The finalists in all categories (apart from Outstanding Achievement) will be announced at the end of May/start of June and you will be notified if you are a finalist.   For Outstanding Achievement there is only a winner who will be announced along with all other winners at the Awards Ceremony.

The Awards will be announced and presented on Thursday June 18, 2020 at the Barber-Surgeons Hall, London.

For all queries regarding the Awards contact

Entries are now closed

Please contact for any queries.