Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award

Benefits & funding

• Entry is free. The organisers publish no cash prize.
• Three finalists are invited to London for the Foreign Press Association Media Awards on 30 November 2026, where the winner is revealed in front of an audience of international editors and journalists.
• Visits to major London newsrooms during the trip.
• A bespoke training session designed to strengthen the finalists’ reporting skills and professional networks. In the 2025 cycle this took the shape of a three-day London visit built around a mobile journalism masterclass led by one of Thomson’s training experts, plus a place at Newsrewired, a twice-yearly London journalism conference.
• In the 2025 cycle the organisers stated that the final three are flown to London. The 2026 announcement says finalists are invited to London and does not itemise travel or accommodation costs.

Eligibility

• Aged 30 or under on 30 November 2026.
• From a country whose Gross National Income (GNI) per capita is USD 20,000 or less. The competition defines the “developing world” by that threshold. The entrant must also be reporting from or in that country, or, if working outside the country of origin, in another country that meets the same GNI limit. The entry form directs entrants to World Bank GNI data to check a country against the threshold. The organisers publish no country list, so the one attached to this record is derived from the World Bank’s latest published GNI per capita figures (Atlas method, 2024) and moves as those figures are revised. The same list therefore governs both tests: where the entrant is from, and where the entrant reports.
• The pages word the income test three ways. The award page says “less than USD20,000”. The 2026 call for entries says “from, or reporting in” a country at “USD 20,000 or less”, which reads as either test on its own. The conditions of entry on the entry form require both at once. The conditions of entry govern, so an entrant needs to clear both.
• Three pieces of work published or broadcast in the 12 months before 9 August 2026, in print, audio, video, multimedia, or a combination of these.
• A written statement of no more than 200 words per piece, summarising the content and any impact it had on public debate where it appeared.
• A verification letter from an editor on company letterhead confirming the work is the entrant’s and was published or broadcast. Freelance and self-employed entrants may instead use an editor at one of the publications, websites or broadcasters where the work appeared, or a journalism academic familiar with their work. Letters are accepted by email only, at awardfpa@thomsonfoundation.org, with the entrant’s name in the subject line.
• Work in a language other than English must be accompanied by a verbatim English translation.
• Any collaboration with colleagues or outside organisations on a submitted piece must be explained. Entries are checked for plagiarism, and work that is not the entrant’s own means automatic disqualification.
• No degree level and no minimum years of experience are required.

Application process

1. 1
   Check the age condition for 30 November 2026, then the country income test: the entrant must be from a country with a GNI per capita of USD 20,000 or less, and reporting from that country or from another country that also meets the limit.
2. 2
   Select three pieces published or broadcast in the 12 months before 9 August 2026, and prepare verbatim English translations where needed.
3. 3
   Write a statement of up to 200 words on each piece, covering what it reported and what impact it had.
4. 4
   Ask an editor for a verification letter on company letterhead. Freelance and self-employed entrants can ask an editor at an outlet that ran the work, or a journalism academic. Email it to awardfpa@thomsonfoundation.org with the entrant’s name in the subject line — the organisers accept verification letters by email only.
5. 5
   Complete the online entry form, a seven-page Google Form, and explain any collaboration with colleagues or outside organisations on each piece. A Google sign-in is optional and only saves progress. Everything except the verification letter goes through this form.
6. 6
   Submit before midnight London time on 9 August 2026. Questions about the award go to the same address, awardfpa@thomsonfoundation.org.
7. 7
   Judges select three finalists, who are invited to London for the ceremony on 30 November 2026.

Program timeline

1. Entries close at midnight London time

   Aug 9, 2026

2. Finalists in London; winner announced at the Foreign Press Association Media Awards

   Nov 30, 2026