ICFJ and Wikimedia Foundation Seek Applications for Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards in Africa

From February 2 to March 1, 2026 African journalists can self-nominate stories that help expand knowledge about Africa on Wikipedia.

Applications for the Open the Knowledge Journalism Awards (OTKJA) are now open.

Presented by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, the Open the Knowledge Awards recognize African journalists whose reporting helps close knowledge gaps about Africa on Wikipedia.

The Awards celebrate African journalists published in reliable outlets who uncover untold stories about the continent's diverse experiences, with a specific focus on the areas of: women and youth, and arts, culture, heritage and sports. Learn more about the awards' criteria here.

The Awards recognize the essential role journalists play in creating well-researched articles that volunteer editors use daily as source materials to develop content on Wikipedia. The platform relies on evidence-based reporting to inform and expand its content, making journalists essential partners in building a more complete global knowledge base.

"Strengthening the relationship between quality journalism and open knowledge platforms is more critical than ever," said ICFJ President Sharon Moshavi. "African journalists are producing the credible, in-depth reporting that enriches Wikipedia's content and ensures that the continent's stories are accurately represented." This initiative further strengthens ICFJ's partnership with Code for Africa through ICFJ+, advancing shared goals of expanding access to reliable and relevant information across the continent.

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"Uncovering well-reported, untold stories about Africa makes it easier for Wikipedia editors to create articles about these topics on one of the world's most visited sites. Quality journalism is essential to building a more complete and representative encyclopedia that reflects perspectives from across the African continent," said Anusha Alikhan, Chief Communications Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation. "Through these awards, we honor the vital role journalists play in strengthening Wikipedia and ensuring that Africa's cultural and historical contributions are documented with the accuracy, depth, and visibility they deserve."

In January 2026 Wikipedia marked its 25th anniversary. Today, it is among the top-ten most-visited global websites, and it is the only one to be run by a nonprofit, the Wikimedia Foundation. Its 65 million articles in over 300 languages, created by nearly 250,000 volunteer editors from around the world, are viewed nearly 15 billion times every month. Yet, many topics about Africa remain missing or incomplete on the site. This issue reflects knowledge gaps in the wider media ecosystem; new information can only be added to Wikipedia by volunteer editors if it is supported by a citation from a published, reliable source.

The first-place winner will receive USD 2,000 and will have the opportunity to join Wikimedia volunteers at one of their Community Conferences in 2026. The second-place winner will receive a USD 1,000 cash prize and a certificate of recognition. All awardees will be announced publicly.

The awards are open to all African journalists based in Africa. Each applicant may submit one English or French language article, published in 2025 in a reliable outlet. The article must address the award focus areas and meet standards of journalistic integrity. Applications are due by March 1, 2026.

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About the Wikimedia Foundation
The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. We support the people, technology, and policies that enable reliable information to be shared with the world. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA. Visit our website to learn more about the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia.

About the International Center for Journalists
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) enables a global network of tens of thousands of journalists to provide the trustworthy news essential to free and strong societies. Through our new entity, ICFJ+, we are partnering with tech powerhouse Code for Africa and systems builder PROTO to cultivate civic intelligence - information that helps people make sense of their world and act constructively to shape it. We collaborate with journalists, technologists, civil society, researchers and others to forge stronger, more effective news and information ecosystems. Learn more about our work at ICFJ.org.