Rules of entry to the Irish Journalism Awards 2026

 

Eligibility

Entry to the Irish Journalism Awards is open to :

Members of NewsBrands Ireland

And/or

A print/ digital news title which is a member of the Press Council of Ireland, and which has a focus on national/ international news.

 Entry is NOT open to stand alone magazine titles or regional/local newspapers or news sites.

 

Entry is open to work first published in print, online, or audio in an eligible (eligibility being defined in the clause above) title between the 3rd of July 2025 and the 23rd of July 2026. 

 

Entries will be accepted via the online entry system until the deadline of 23:59 on August 19th 2026.  The entry deadline may be extended at the discretion of the organisers – such extension will be published on the awards website and communicated via social media etc.

 

All Entries must be accompanied by the relevant administration charges where appropriate.

 

Entries are open to both staff and freelance journalists.

 

All entries must be submitted from journalists ordinarily working in Ireland and/or for working for newspapers/news websites published in Ireland or for Irish editions of newspapers published outside the state.

 

Entries are limited to one entry per journalist per category. Unless you are also entering the same category as a team, then you may enter your own entry and your team entry.

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You can enter the same article in more than one category.

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There is no limit on the number of categories you can enter.

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Entries must be the sole work of the named entrant or team.

 

All entries must be submitted via the online entry system. Work samples may be submitted either as a PDF or via an online link. If submitting a PDF, articles published across multiple pages must be combined into a single PDF. If submitting an online link, the content must be freely accessible and not behind a paywall or require a login. Entries submitted in an incorrect format may be disqualified. 

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Entrants for the Young Journalist of the Year must be aged 28 or younger on 23rd July 2026.

 

Where a category includes both a Broadsheet and Tabloid/Popular option, each publication must choose one category only. It is the responsibility of the Editor to determine the appropriate category for their title. The same publication may not enter both the Broadsheet and Tabloid/Popular categories for the same award. Any entries submitted to both categories from the same title will be disqualified. 

 

The organisers reserve the right not to present an award in any category if, in the opinion of the judges, there are an insufficient number of entries or if the entries received do not meet the required standard of quality.  This decision will be made solely by the organisers and no correspondence will be entered into.

 

The Judging Panel can move work to another category if deemed appropriate and at their discretion.

 

The decision of the judging panel is final.

 

Terms & Conditions of Entry to the Irish Journalism Awards 2026

 

• The Irish Journalism Awards are a venture conducted by Alchemy Event Management Limited (With an Address at 92 Lower Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin A96VR66  (The Organisers) in association with Newsbrands Ireland.

• All entries for the Awards must be uploaded to the online entry system by the designated closing date. The entry deadline may be extended at the discretion of the organisers.

• All entries must be a truthful representation of the entrant’s work.

• All entrants agree to be bound by the decisions of the judges. The judges' decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome.

• All material submitted in support of an entry is warranted by the entrant to be their property and is entered without any encumbrances by third parties.

• Each submission must address the specific criteria the judges have set out in each category.

• The deadline for nominations may be extended at the discretion of The Organisers.

• The entrant indemnifies and agrees to keep indemnified The Organisers for any claims arising out of any material, statements or claims made as part of their entry.

• The entrant agrees that the organisers of the awards are entitled to judge their entry and select what they consider to be the winner in a given category without recourse to the entrants.

• If the entrant wins an award, it grants permission to the organisers to use any photographs, video, sound, written or other material as it sees fit and without restriction.

• Entries received without the required entry form will be deemed invalid and withdrawn from the Awards.

• The organisers reserves the right to withdraw an entry from the judging process at any time if the entry is deemed inappropriate for any reason. The organisers decision in this matter  is final.

• Entry is not open to magazines or regional/local newspapers or news sites.

• The decision of the judges is final.

• By submitting your nomination form all entrants will be deemed to have accepted these rules and procedures and  have agreed to be bound by them when entering this awards programme.

• By submitting this nomination form you are agreeing to be contacted by The Organisers specifically in relation to this awards programme.

• To the fullest extent permitted by the applicable law, The Organisers exclude: (a) all liability for loss, injury or damage to persons or property by entering or the Event; (b) all indemnities, warranties, representations, terms and conditions (whether express or implied); and (c) any actual or alleged indirect loss or consequential loss howsoever arising suffered by You, or any loss of profits, anticipated profits, savings, loss of business revenue, loss of business, loss of opportunity, loss of goodwill, or any other type of economic loss (whether direct or indirect).

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Data Protection

It is the policy of The Organisers never to disclose any customer data to any third party, apart from such instances where this disclosure is required for legal reasons. The information contained in your nomination will be at all times treated in the strictest confidence.

The Organisers Privacy Policy can be viewed here: https://www.alchemyevents.com/privacy