The Climate
Media Awards
Celebrating the journalists and storytellers bringing Africa's climate crisis to life — across every language, platform, and community.
Celebrating the journalists and storytellers bringing Africa's climate crisis to life — across every language, platform, and community.
The Climate Media Awards
2026 Coming SoonCategories, judges, and entry dates will be announced ahead of opening. Follow us on social media to be notified.
"Community media reporting of climate change is crucial to take what used to be an elite debate into an everyday discussion for the ordinary person."
— Zukile Majova, Political Editor, Scrolla Africa · at the launch of the Climate Media Awards, 2024
About the Awards
The Climate Media Awards celebrate journalists, community radio broadcasters, social media creators, and independent reporters who bring Africa's climate crisis to life for the communities living through it.
You don't need to be a trained journalist or work for a major newsroom. You need to be telling real stories — about floods, droughts, rising food prices, farming adaptations, or climate solutions happening right now in African communities.
The awards are open to content published in any African language, by any person based anywhere on the continent. The judging panel is made up of senior African journalists and editors who assess every entry independently.
Open to any content creator in Africa"These awards exist because the climate crisis cannot remain an elite debate. It is more urgent than ever for African countries to protect their people and secure food sovereignty."— Climate Media Awards, founding statement
2025 Award Categories
Categories for the 2026 cycle will be confirmed ahead of entries opening. The categories below reflect the 2025 awards.
Stories published in print or online, anywhere in Africa. Newspapers, magazines, digital platforms, newsletters.
Radio, podcast, broadcast television, YouTube, or any digital video platform. Format is open.
TikTok to Instagram, X to Facebook. A single post or a series on one topic or theme.
Sponsored by SRI-2030. Stories connecting farming, food security, and climate adaptation. Any media format.
Prize Money
The Climate Media Awards offers cash prizes across all four categories. Prize amounts for the 2026 cycle will be confirmed and announced ahead of entries opening.
First Place
Each category awards a first place prize to the winning entry.
Runner Up
Each category awards a runner up prize to the second placed entry.
Agriculture Award
A separate prize for the Agriculture Award category. Sponsorship details for the 2026 cycle will be announced with the opening of entries.
How To Enter
Check you are eligible
Open to journalists, writers, reporters, freelancers, and content creators from anywhere in Africa. No formal training required.
Choose your category
Select Written, Audio/Video, Social Media, or the Agriculture Award. You may enter in more than one category with different pieces of work.
Submit your entry
Use the online entry form. Your work must have been published or broadcast within the eligible date window for this cycle.
The panel assesses
Our judging panel reviews every entry independently. Winners are announced at a ceremony and published on this site.
Who Can Enter
Any creator in Africa
Newsrooms, independents, community media
Languages
All African languages
We arrange translation if needed
Entry Fee
Free
No cost to enter the awards
Entry Dates
To be announced
Follow us on social media for updates
2025 Judging Panel
The judging panel for the 2026 cycle will be confirmed ahead of entries opening. The panel below judged the 2025 awards.
Principal, Africa Climate Ventures
His knowledge of agriculture and climate, and their interplay, is deep and substantive. Scott focuses specifically on judging the Agriculture Award category.
Editorial Director, Africa Confidential | Contributes to BBC, The Guardian, The Observer, The Economist
Patrick writes about politics, economics, and "geo-history" — the enduring power of trade and warfare in shaping the international system. If it's happened in Africa, Patrick's probably written about it.
Managing Director, Scrolla.Africa | Previously: Head of News at YFM 99.2, Investigative Reporter at Mail & Guardian
Rich journalism history spanning radio, investigations, and political analysis. Zukile knows a good story when he sees one.
CapeTalk and 702
Known for insightful interviews and engaging conversations. Passionate about social issues, education, and fostering dialogue that drives positive change. If you've listened to talk radio in South Africa, you know Africa's voice.
Group Head of News, Arena Holdings | Previously: Led The Herald (Eastern Cape) for 5 years
Led The Herald through a remarkable digital transformation. Rochelle knows what great journalism looks like across platforms.
Acting Editor, Business Day
Oversees coverage of business and labour sectors navigating challenges that threaten South Africa's social compact. Also: big, big Orlando Pirates fan.
Entries must centre on real-world climate change impacts on people and communities across Africa — the steps that can be taken to adapt, and possible opportunities that may arise. Stories must focus on a specific community or person.
Topics may include: climate science, renewable energy, conservation, climate policy, environmental racism, or climate solutions.
Written stories, video, audio, and social media are all eligible. Social media entries can be a single post or a series on one topic. Agriculture Award entries can be in any format.
Sponsored by SRI-2030. We want to hear about inspiring solutions from farmers, or government initiatives to help people manage climate change. For case studies, visit the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.
Open to all journalists, reporters, and content creators in Africa. Entries must be original and created by the entrant or team credited. Entries can be in any African language.
Fake or misleading stories; hate speech or climate denial; work not created by the person or team submitting it.
Content will be judged on relevance, relatability, originality, and potential impact. All content must adhere to ethical journalistic standards: accuracy, transparency, balance, and respect for sources and communities.
Written
Runner Up
Doreen Ajiambo – "As COP30 nears, Maasai evictions expose the dark side of carbon markets"
Global Sisters Report / National Catholic Reporter
Audio / Visual
Winner
Susan Mbodze & Michael Kwoba – "Mbiu ya Mgambo (The Messenger)"
Sifa FM Marsabit, Trans World Radio Kenya
Runner Up
Dhashen Moodley & Siya Mokoena – "Just Enough Light"
Radio Workshop, South Africa
Social Media
Winner
Snenhlanhla Dionne Mngadi – "YMAD Waste Recycling Initiative"
YMAD NPO, South Africa
Agriculture Award
Winner
Halligan Agade – "Turning Rice Waste into Organic Fertilizer"
CGTN Africa (YouTube), Kenya
Scrolla.Africa is thrilled to announce the outstanding journalists and content creators who've won this year's Climate Media Awards for excellent climate change reporting across Africa.
In this second year of the awards we expanded to the rest of Africa, and were delighted to receive 430 entries from across the continent. The awards were judged by:
South Africa's Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen congratulated the winners. "It is important that many communities from across this continent are equipped to survive and deal with climate change. I am particularly pleased to see how this year's awards give prominence to reporting on the role agriculture can play in reducing climate change."
Majova said: "The lesson I learned from these awards is that farming can feed our people, save the planet and survive any storm — if we do it right."
Scrolla would like to thank the sponsors, including SRI-2030 (www.sri-2030.org), which sponsored the agriculture category and the expansion of the awards across Africa.
Doreen Ajiambo — "As COP30 nears, Maasai evictions expose the dark side of carbon markets"
Caroline Chebet — "School calendars disrupted as Lake Baringo waters rise"
Abdulkareem Mojeed — "How conflict with humans endangers Nigeria's wild elephants"
Ethan Van Diemen — "Pinpointing Pollution" (2-part)
Jessica Pitchford — "Africa's floods and droughts are messing with our minds"
Halligan Agade — "Turning Rice Waste into Organic Fertilizer"
Busani Bafana — "Seeds of Survival: Amid Conflict Sudan Is Saving Its Agricultural Future"
Lindi Botha — "Smart Strategies for Conserving Water on Cape Fruit Farms"
Oluwatomisin Amokeoja — "Soilless Farming (Profile: Samson Ogbole)"
Rakotomiarintsoa Nirina Lalao Claude — "SRZ and Rice-Fish Farming in Madagascar"
Susan Mbodze & Michael Kwoba — "Mbiu ya Mgambo (The Messenger)"
Mary Kasoka Mwiikisa — "Climate Change: Alternative Energy Solutions"
Jesica Bobo — "Environmental Justice Story"
Diana Nakayima Kibuuka — "Two Climate Stories" (Podcast)
Radio Workshop — "Just Enough Light"
Jenny Luesby — "Snakebite Safety Guide for Farmers"
Snenhlanhla Dionne Mngadi — "YMAD Waste Recycling Initiative"
Soulayman Hsina — "Beach Clean-Up Campaign"
Sphelele Khanyile — "Township Climate Education"
Kundai Benhura — "Kijani Konversations"
Scrolla.Africa proudly celebrates the journalists and content creators recognised for outstanding climate change reporting in South Africa.
Wild Card: Rejoice Kgabo Lekgodi – Acknowledged for fresh perspectives that vividly highlight climate change impacts.
"These journalists aren't just reporting facts – they're showing how communities are experiencing climate impacts firsthand." — The Judges
2026 Edition
Climate change is Africa's story. Every community living it deserves to have it told.
Get in Touch