The Uganda Conservation Media Awards is an initiative of Uganda Wildlife Authority to encourage, motivate and interest media (reporters and editors) to give due consideration to conservation issues.

 Objective of the awards.

The main objective of the Conservation Media Awards is to develop excellence in conservation reporting.

Award categories;

The awards feature four categories;

1. Community conservation. This includes ways in which communities engage with and benefit from conservation, as well as human-wildlife conflict and ways to address it.
2. Wildlife protection. This could include anything from how rangers conduct their work to a day in the life of a wildlife vet.
3. Wildlife crime. Including arrests, prosecutions, and how this work is done. This is very important in order to highlight to the nation the legal consequences of harming wild animals and habitats.
4. Habitats and environment. These stories should explain the relevance to wildlife.

 In each category, separate awards will be given for the following media groups:

1. Print and/or online – This includes new media such as blogs, websites, and other digital platforms.
2. Radio
3. TV 

One separate award will be given for the Uganda Wildlife Photograph of the Year.

Winners will be given a cash award of 5,000,000 Uganda shillings, a winner’s plaque,

and free entry to Uganda’s national parks for the winner for one year.

Eligibility

Stories published between 1st July 2024 and 31st October 2025 are eligible for entry. Closing date for receiving entries is 31 October 2025. Only Ugandan nationals are eligible to participate in the awards.

Guideline for entries

1. Only Ugandan nationals are eligible to enter.
2. Each entry must specify the journalism and award category applied to.
3. Entries must be original works of the author.
4. For print and online entries, URL links and/or legible scans/photos of the print media pieces must be included.
5. For TV and radio entries the script of the piece must be submitted.
6. For entries in languages other than English, a translation must be submitted.
7. Entries must have been published within the awards year (1^st July 2024 to 31st October 2025). Please include the publication date for the entry.
8. Entries may not be submitted more than once to the UCMA.
9. Entries MUST be accompanied by an entry form, with all fields filled
10. Entries are entered via a dedicated Uganda Wildlife Authority email address; awards@wildlife.go.ug

Rules

1. The process will be open and transparent.
2. Entry forms that do not meet the requirements will be disqualified.
3. The decision of the Adjudication Panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
4. Each entrant assumes full responsibility in respect of the entry and quality of support material and discharges the Adjudication Panel from any responsibility in respect of third parties.
5. Any submitted material cannot be claimed back after the competition unless through prior arrangement.

Judging process

1. A panel made up of a group consisting of top-tier professionals from acclaimed media institutions and other strategic role players in the communications industry will select the UCMA winners.
2. Winning entries for the awards will be selected jointly by the panel in order to uphold our commitment to fairness and merit-based achievement. This will ensure that each entry is accorded equal chance of winning an award, as all entries are judged to evaluate distinction in creative work.
3. In determining excellence, entries will be judged based on a standard of excellence in their respective fields.

 Judging Criteria

Each entry is scored between 1-10 on each of the following criteria. Each criterion carries the same weight.

1.   Originality/breaking new ground – can be a new issue, a new perspective on an issue, a new way of telling a story, how the issue is presented, bringing the issue in a new way etc.

2.   Properly researched, accurate and balanced.

3.   Impact – each entry must include information on the audience reached, the number of additional articles it resulted in, policy changes or debates that arose as a result etc.

4.   Well-written or well-presented, includes if a print/web story has a multimedia aspect e.g. quality photos that help illustrate the article.

To download the entry form, click this link: https://ugandawildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/UCMA-2024-entry-form.docx