Submissions are now open for the Global Shining Light Award. This unique award, sponsored by the Global Investigative Journalism Network, honors investigative journalism in a developing or transitioning country, done under threat, duress, or in the direst of conditions. See the link at the bottom of this post to apply.
There will be two award categories: Small and Medium Outlets (organizations with staff of 20 or less, including freelancers); and Large Outlets (organizations with more than 20 staff). Top winners will receive an honorary plaque, US$2,500, and a trip to the 2027 Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, to accept the award in front of hundreds of their colleagues from around the world.
Criteria
The journalist, journalism team, or media outlet provided independent, investigative reporting, which:
- Originated in and affected a Global South country;
- Was broadcast or published between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2026;
- Was of an investigative nature;
- Uncovered an issue, wrongdoing, or system of corruption which gravely affected the common good;
- And did so in the face of arrest, imprisonment, violence against them and their families, or threats and intimidation.
For more information and updates about GIJC27, visit conference website.
Due to the high volume of applications, we ask that you send us online links to your work samples. If your sample is not available as a public link, you can easily upload your document to a platform such as Google Drive or Dropbox, and share the link with shininglightaward@gijn.org. If you run into any problems, please send us an email. If submissions are in languages other than English, you must provide a detailed English-language summary of a print or online story, or an English-language transcript of a broadcast script.
Competition is keen. In 2025, the awards attracted 410 applications from a record 97 countries. From 13 extraordinary finalists, the judging panel gave out three awards — two in the Large Outlets category and one from the Small and Medium Outlets category — as well as a special citation at the 14th Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Submissions deadline for the GIJC27 awards: February 28, 2027.
Visit our conference website to learn more about the award and previous winners.
