2026–2027 Hearst Journalism Awards Program
Offered by William Randolph Hearst Foundation
About this scholarship
The 2026–2027 Hearst Journalism Awards Program runs 14 competitions in writing, photojournalism, audio, podcasting, television, and multimedia for student journalists at participating U.S. universities. In every monthly competition, first place earns $3,000, second $2,000, third $1,500, and fourth and fifth $1,000 each; the winning students’ schools receive matching grants. Leading entrants can advance to the National Championship, where individual scholarships range from $1,500 for finalists to $10,000 for first place. Students do not self-submit independently. Each eligible journalism department receives portal credentials, selects no more than two separate student entries per competition, and submits through the official platform. Entrants generally must have been undergraduate journalism majors or minors at an ACEJMC-accredited domestic university when the work was published, aired, or posted. Photojournalism entrants are exempt from the major-or-minor rule, and designated team categories permit group entries. Work must be genuine journalism produced while the student was an undergraduate; any role played by artificial-intelligence tools must be disclosed. Spring, summer, and fall 2026 graduates may enter eligible work in the 2026–2027 program, although the championship rules limit participation for some graduates. Students should contact their journalism school well before the published category date because campus selection deadlines may be earlier.
Eligibility
- Have eligible journalism work published, aired, or posted while enrolled as an undergraduate
- Be or have been enrolled at a participating U.S. university with an ACEJMC-accredited undergraduate journalism program
- Be a journalism major or minor for writing, audio, podcast, television, and multimedia entries; photo entrants are exempt from this rule
- Be selected by the participating journalism department as one of no more than two separate entrants for the competition, except in designated team categories
- Submit work that meets the current rules for the chosen writing, photojournalism, audio, podcast, television, or multimedia category
- Disclose any use of artificial-intelligence tools in creating, researching, editing, or presenting the entry
- Have the journalism department submit the entry through the official portal by the applicable category deadline