South African or SA-based journalists are invited to submit their best work published or broadcast between 1 Jan and 31 Dec 2025 for this year’s Taco Kuiper Award for Investigative Journalism.
Celebrating its 20th edition in 2026, the annual awards recognise the very best examples of local investigative journalism that reveal untold stories and hold power to account.
The award, which carries a first prize of R200,000 and a runner-up prize of R100,000, can be made to a journalist or team of journalists for a single story or a series of stories. Entrants should not include pieces from years prior to 2025, though where relevant they can be referred to in your motivation.
The motivation is extremely important as it should ensure the judges are fully aware of the work that went into the story, challenges, its originality, context and impact. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges who have discretion to set and use criteria they consider to be appropriate and reasonable.
Please note that when completing the form, entrants must upload the following:
— An electronic copy of the entry material as published/broadcast. If the original is reduced in size it must be accompanied by a readable Word/PDF document version. It is the obligation of the entrant to ensure that judges can access the electronic copy. Should the entry appear behind a paywall, please ensure the judges are given guest access or are otherwise able to access the work.
— Material that is not in English must be accompanied by an English translation or transcript.
— A 100-word biography and photo of each entrant (these can be included together in one document).
— A high-res copy of the publication/broadcaster’s logo.
— A short motivation for the entry (maximum 500 words), including any background the judges should be aware of, an indication of the impact of the story and details of any significant challenge to the accuracy or fairness of the entry such as published letters, corrections, retractions, formal complaints or continuing court cases.
— Broadcast entries must include a short video clip of the story for publicity purposes. Please do not upload full video(s), rather provide links in a separate document.
The deadline for entries is 13 February 2026 at 12pm.
> Please follow this link to complete the entry form and upload your supporting documents.
For queries, please reach out to [email protected]