The African Centre for Media Excellence has announced the opening of submissions for the 2026 Uganda National Journalism Awards.
Submissions will be accepted from Oct. 15 to Jan. 31, 2026, for stories published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025. The annual awards celebrate outstanding reporting across print, broadcast and online platforms.
ACME Executive Director George William Lugalambi highlighted the role of credible journalism in shaping Uganda’s global image, citing a study that found media narratives strongly influence investment, tourism and development decision.
He described the awards as a key platform for strengthening reporting standards and said the program has expanded to include Kenya and Tanzania with support from the Stewart Mott Foundation.
“These awards are now the longest-running of their kind in East Africa,” Lugalambi said. “Our hope is to anchor Uganda as a hub for journalism excellence in the region.”
ACME Board Chairperson Emilly Comfort Maractho reflected on the organization’s sustainability, noting a past funding crisis forced a strategic shift.
“We decided that we could never again be in a position where a project collapses because a main funder pulls out,” Maractho said. “That’s when we made the decision to diversify and look forward to local investment through partners.”
She said ACME now prioritizes working with Ugandan institutions that appreciate the value of ethical journalism.
“When one journalist fails, we all suffer. People don’t say ‘that journalist,’ they say ‘journalists,’” Maractho said. “It’s important to create spaces where journalism thrives while observing critical principles that distinguish us from just having skills just like what they now call influencers.”
Daily Monitor journalist Ismail Ladu, a long-time participant and winner, encouraged journalists to persist.
“The first time I submitted my work, I didn’t win. The second time I got an honorary mention,” Ladu said. “I kept trying, and eventually, I started winning over the course of eight years. The idea is to keep learning and improving.”
The awards recognize exceptional reporting in categories including business, health, education and public accountability.
