Mobile Journalism Awards

The Mobile Journalism Awards is an annual film competition produced by the Visual Editors Non-Profit to identify, advance, and celebrate the best mobile journalism reporting each year.

In an era where smartphones have revolutionized storytelling, the Mojo Awards celebrate excellence in mobile journalism, which empowers more journalists to narrate stories from more corners of the globe.

CALL FOR ENTRIES – OPENS SEPTEMBER 14, 2025

https://filmfreeway.com/MobileJournalismAwards

#MojoAwards categories:

Mobile Journalism
Crisis Reporting
Documentary
Rural Voices

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: February 14, 2026

Call for entries — CALL FOR ENTRIES
https://filmfreeway.com/MobileJournalismAwards

SMALL CAMERAS, GLOBAL IMPACT

In addition, the best films from all seasons of the Mobile Journalism Awards are curated in a permanent collection at the Smart Film School.

This allows scholars from all walks of life to review the collective body of documentary film work and new entries from each year’s competition results.

CATEGORIES

Mobile Journalism
• An open call for feature stories, news reports, travel stories, and human-interest features that have been shot primarily with smartphones.

NOTE: Judges can make several awards from work entered into this category. It all depends upon the variety, originality and quality of the work sent in.

• Assets from other small mobile gear like portable mics, GoPros, Drones, 360° and Action Cams is allowed.
• English Subtitles (burned in) are mandatory for any non-English scenes.
• All aspect ratios are supported (Square, Horizontal, Vertical).

Documentary
• Non-fiction subject between 3 and 10 minutes in length on any topic. Must be accurately reported with integrity using journalism ethics. Creative approaches to editorial illustration and narrative exposition that push the frontier of the documentary genre forward are certainly welcome.

Crisis Reporting
Entries may consist of reports, documentaries, live shots, news packages, or human-interest features that have been shot primarily with smartphones.
• Stories can be filmed in any location (battlefield, border crossings, homes, in transit, or anywhere necessary to tell the story of the crisis).
• Assets from other small mobile gear like portable mics, GoPros, Drones, 360°, and Action Cams is allowed, but material that was clearly produced with the capabilities of larger cameras is ineligible.
• English Subtitles (burned in) are mandatory for any non-English scenes. All aspect ratios are supported (Square, Horizontal, Vertical).

Rural Voices
This award will go to the best story (shot on a mobile phone) highlighting rural issues or reporting on the challenges of daily life of people living in rural or remote areas of the world, whether focused on food security, the effects of climate change and challenges of farming, issues around connectivity, access to markets/transport etc., challenges of youth unemployment or other.

We are particularly interested in entries from people living in fragile environments and crisis areas. Entries from rural women, youth and people from indigenous communities are particularly welcome.

$1,000 Cash Prize for Rural Voices

FAD will offer a cash prize of US$ 1000.
IFAD will provide flights and accommodation (up to the value of US$3,000 for the winner to attend, take part and receive their award at a MOJO awards event at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia in April 2025. (Visa situation allowing).
If that is not feasible within the time frame, we would arrange a special event in their own country to honor them at one of IFAD’s regional offices and arrange a hybrid meeting with Italy.
IFAD will invite the winner to take part in an event/side event at the IFAD Governing Council 2026. (Either in person or virtually)

Eligibility for the Rural Voices prize

The entrant needs to be over 18 years of age (as demonstrated by a valid ID).
The film needs to be shot on a smart mobile phone by one person/crew and be between 1- 5 minutes in length.
The film can be landscape or portrait.
The film can be professionally edited (but doesn’t have to be)
The film can be in any language but needs to have English subtitles for the entry.
The film must have been shot between January 2024 and December 2024.
The film must have taken place in one of IFAD’s Member States. Details of our 178 members can be found here.
The author/director of the film must have been born or be living in one of IFAD’s Member States.

HOW TO ENTER

CALL FOR ENTRIES
https://filmfreeway.com/MobileJournalismAwards

This competition showcases the best stories and mobile storytellers each year.

Journalism is a cornerstone of free speech and a strong defender of democratic ideals.

By raising the standards for mobile journalism and hosting public screenings, journalists can show the impact of non-fiction storytelling.

The Mobile Journalism Awards recognize excellence in non-fiction storytelling by mobile reporters.

Recent winners

A list of previous winners can be found here.

CHARITABLE DONATIONS

The public can also support this project by giving to the charity.

Visual Editors is a USA registered 501(c)(3) charity founded in 2005 to support visual journalism education. Officers and staff donate their time and expertise – there is no payroll, our overhead is bare-bones.

Your contributions directly support these programs.
Donations can also be made by bank wire transfer if you prefer.

The Visual Editors, NFP treasurer can provide you with details when you are ready to give.

Congrats to all who enter!

JOIN THE #MOJO CLUB FOR FREE

The #MojoAwards is also a #MojoMeetup where you can network with MOJO colleagues from around the globe in real time and share tips about the latest tools and techniques.

Join the international mojo community online (for free!) at MOST – Mobile Storytellers.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

#MojoAwards receives mobile journalism stories from reporters in the United States, India, Brazil, United Kingdom, Mexico, China, Italy, France, Canada, Russian Federation, S. Korea, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Chile, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Spain, Sweden, Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, Ireland, Qatar, Sudan, Tunisia, Switzerland, and Israel.

PARTNERS

USA
E.W. Scripps School of Journalism
Visual Editors non-profit
Broadcast Educators Association
National Association of Broadcasters
Society for News Design

ITALY
International Journalism Festival
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

UK
Journalism co.uk

FRANCE
EFJ School of New Journalism

EGYPT
The American University, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication

ARGENTINA
Latin American Congress of Mobile Journalism

This group of forms the competition committee. The directors of journalism schools, editors-in-chief, and media development experts volunteer their expertise to the non-profit.

They also advise on categories, judging criteria, and help to coordinate additional screening events of the winning work from this competition.

The #MojoAwards are a project of Visual Editors, NFP, a Chicago-area non profit that supports visual journalism scholarship.

Make a tax-deductible contribution to support this project.

More ways to donate

Institutional donors may request a copy of the organization’s 501(c)3 ruling from the IRS and the certificate of good standing issued by the Illinois Secretary of State.

MEDIA COVERAGE

Films from the winners premieres in April each year at the NABshow in Las Vegas.

Follow this page and the #MojoAwards hashtag on Twitter for all competition announcements.

Official updates will be posted by @MobileMost and @VizEds

The best work from each awards season is also curated in this permanent collection at the Smart Film School.