The Livingston Awards recognize outstanding reporting by journalists under the age of 35. Each year, prizes of $10,000 are presented in local, national and international reporting.

Please read Rules and What to Prepare before starting the entry form. We receive a high volume of entries, and it is essential that all rules and submission guidelines are followed. Entries that fail to do so may be disqualified or may not advance to the next stage of consideration.

Rules

There is no entry fee. Prize money is paid directly to the journalists, not the news organizations.

• Entrants must be 34 years of age or younger as of December 31, 2025.
• Multiple bylines are eligible, but all must meet the age criteria.
• One entry per individual is accepted. One entry can be a single piece or a maximum of three pieces either from a published series, an original piece and its follow-up developments or three pieces clearly tied together in a beat. All pieces of the series must be published by the same organization.
• There is no limit to the number of entries that a news organization can submit, provided there is only one entry per reporter.
• Individuals may enter on their own, or be entered by their organization.
• Text, video, audio and data visualization work are eligible. Still photography is not eligible.
• The work must appear in U.S.-controlled media. Entrants are not required to be U.S. citizens.
• Entries must be directly related to current events or include new information about old events. Features and commentary are eligible.
• Submissions must consist of materials prepared in the ordinary course of the journalist’s professional production. Materials prepared by journalists specifically for submission to the Livingston Awards do not qualify.
• Student media completed solely as a class assignment or for a college or university publication is not eligible.
• Journalism produced by students and published by a news organization serving a general audience is eligible.
• Competition is limited to work published or appearing during the calendar year ending December 31, 2025.
• The Livingston Awards reserves the right to use any part or whole of any entered piece for publicity or educational purposes.
• Winners will participate in an outreach event arranged by the Livingston Awards.

We understand the collaborative efforts of many projects. At the same time, our objective is to recognize outstanding journalists under the age of 35. To ensure this, the clear majority of the reporting and writing for the submitted work should be the efforts of journalists under the age of 35. If the entry involves the work of others over the age of 34, a detailed description of the work responsibilities, breakdown and percentage of work each team member contributed to the project can be provided on the entry form.

What to Prepare

Entry Information

• To apply, you will create an account on OpenWater. You can save your information and return to the entry form at any time before your final submission.
• You will be asked to enter the media organization, publishing date(s) and the title of the piece or series you are entering.
• You will be asked to indicate the region of your entry. Select your region according to the city/state of the media organization that published/aired your entry. For example, if you live in California and your entry was published by a media organization based in Washington, D.C., your region is Mid-Atlantic. Find your region.

Entrant Information

• Provide the full name and date of birth for each entrant.
• Provide an individual email address for each entrant, in case the Livingston Awards team needs to contact the entrant directly.

PDF Uploads and Working Links

Both PDF uploads and corresponding URLs are required for judges to review each submission.

Text and Data Visualization Entries – PDF Requirements

• Each complete article should be uploaded as one PDF.
• Label each PDF with the entrant’s last name and publication date.
  Example: Smith 9-26-25.pdf.
• Use a standard page size of 8.5” x 11” with 10-point or larger type size.
• Do not upload PDFs in spread format.
• Ensure that the text is not cut off at the top or bottom of any page.
• All clips must show the name of the media organization, story headline, byline and date of publication.
• The PDF must contain page breaks for printing.
• The PDF can be a text version of the online story.
• If the entry piece is not in English, include an English translation of the submission.
• Here are examples of acceptable PDFs: example 1 and example 2.

Video and Audio Entries – PDF Requirements

• Upload a transcript.
  • Label the transcript with the last name(s) of the entrant(s).
  • The transcript must indicate the total running time and air date or date of publication online.
• If the entry piece is not in English, please include an English translation of the submission.

URL Requirements and Paywall

• A working URL corresponding to each PDF piece must be provided.
• We prefer entrants submit URLs that are accessible without a paywall. If this is not possible, entrants must include a username and password for paywall access on the entry form. If you are submitting on your own and prefer not to share your personal login, please coordinate with your organization to obtain an access account before submitting your entry.

Summary of Entry

You will be asked to summarize what the entry piece or series is about in no more than 65 words. The summary will not be part of the judging, rather this is to provide the program administration and the judges with a quick, succinct summary of the entry story.

Outcome or Results of the Reporting

The entry form includes an optional field to include information in 65 words or fewer about the outcome or any significant results of the reporting for the submitted work.

Generative AI

You will be asked if generative AI was used to report, write or produce any aspect of your entry. If so, you will be asked to explain why and how it was used.

Cover Letter Field

Cover letters are not required and are not passed on to the judges. However, there is a field available to upload cover letters for entrants who still wish to submit one.

Contact Information

You will be asked to enter the contact information of the entrant, editor (print, online and data visualization entries) or senior producer (video and audio entries), and contest coordinator (if applicable).

Proof of Age

You will be asked to confirm that as of December 31, 2025, the entrant(s) is younger than 35 years of age. Finalists will be notified by April 1, 2026. At that time, a copy of a current U.S. driver’s license, birth certificate or passport identification page will be required.

Deadlines

• Entries for work published in 2025 open in November 2025.
• The deadline for entering work published in 2025 is 11:59 p.m. ET on February 1, 2026.
• Finalists will be notified by April 1, 2026 and announced later that month. The winners will be introduced and honored at our Livingston Awards luncheon in New York City.

For Contest Coordinators

There is no limit to the number of entries that a media organization can submit, provided there is only one entry per reporter.

To submit multiple entries for a media organization:

1. Create an online account. You can save your information and return to the entry form at any time before your final submission.
2. Complete the entry for your first candidate.
3. Return to the online application link and repeat the entry process.

For questions about the Livingston Awards rules or entry process, email livawards@umich.edu.

Next Step