Submissions are now open for the 2025 African Fact-Checking Awards, the continent’s leading initiative honouring excellence in fact-checking. Journalists, journalism students, and professional fact-checkers across Africa are invited to submit their work for consideration.
Eligibility Criteria
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Entries must be original fact-checks first published or broadcast between 1 May 2024 and 7 June 2025.
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Submissions must focus on verifying a claim about an important topic that originates in or is relevant to Africa and must conclude that the claim is misleading or false.
Award Categories and Prizes
The competition features three categories, each with a winner and runner-up:
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Fact-Check of the Year by a Working Journalist
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Fact-Check of the Year by a Professional Fact-Checker
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Fact-Check of the Year by a Student Journalist
Prizes include:
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$3,000 for winners in the working journalist and professional fact-checker categories.
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$1,500 for their respective runners-up.
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$2,000 for the student journalist winner.
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$1,000 for the student runner-up.
Judging Criteria
Entries will be assessed based on the following:
Significance – The societal relevance and potential consequences of the claim investigated.
Testing – The depth of analysis and how rigorously the claim was tested using publicly available evidence.
Presentation – Clarity, structure, and accessibility of the report to a wide audience.
Impact – Influence on public discourse, such as corrections made, reach, and media pickup.
How to Apply
Submit your entry via the official African Fact-Checking Awards page:
Deadline: June 7, 2025
Submissions for the 2025 African Fact-Checking Awards are now open, inviting journalists, journalism students, and professional fact-checkers from across Africa to recognize excellence in fact-checking. Eligible entries must be original fact-checks that were first published or broadcast between May 1, 2024, and June 7, 2025. These submissions should verify claims related to important topics originating in or relevant to Africa, ultimately concluding that the claim is misleading or false.
The awards feature three categories: Fact-Check of the Year by a Working Journalist, Professional Fact-Checker, and Student Journalist. Prizes include $3,000 for category winners in the working journalist and professional fact-checker segments, with runners-up receiving $1,500. The student journalist winner will earn $2,000, while the runner-up receives $1,000.
Entries will be judged based on significance, testing, presentation, and impact. Significance examines the societal relevance of the claim, testing evaluates the depth and rigor of analysis, presentation assesses clarity, while impact considers the entry's influence on public discourse. To apply, participants must submit their entries via the official African Fact-Checking Awards page by June 7, 2025.
