The Uzbekistan Journalistsʼ Union, in cooperation with several partner organizations, has announced the international contest for the 19th “Oltin Qalam” (Golden Pen) National Award. The competition aims to promote the highest achievements in national and international journalism, foster a new mindset aligned with the spirit of New Uzbekistan, enrich national media content, honor human dignity, raise public awareness, enhance transparency in society, and provide opportunities for media professionals to express their civic stance. It also seeks to encourage critical, analytical thinking and support innovative approaches in journalism.

Award Categories

1 Grand National Award

Television:

National awards for the best journalistic material (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places);

Radio:

National awards for the best journalistic material (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places);

Print Media:

National awards for the best journalistic material (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places);

Online Media:

National awards for the best journalistic material (1st, 2nd, and 3rd places);

Foreign Journalists

One first-place award for the best material about Uzbekistan, four second-place awards (across TV, radio, print, and online media categories)

In addition, 12 incentive nominations will be introduced. Further details will be announced separately.

Prizes and Awards

• The Grand National Award winner will receive a special diploma, an “Oltin Qalam” statuette, and a passenger car at a formal ceremony.

• First-place winners will receive a diploma, statuette, and a monetary award equivalent to 200 times the base calculation unit (BCU);

• Second-place winners will receive a diploma, statuette, and a cash prize equivalent to 175 times the BCU;

• Third-place winners will receive a diploma, statuette, and a cash prize equivalent to 150 times the BCU;

• Incentive category winners will receive a diploma, statuette, and a monetary award equivalent to 100 times the BCU.

Submission Guidelines

Each contestant may submit 5 to 7 journalistic works published in print or online media, or boradcast on radio or television, between April 30, 2024, and April 30, 2025.

If a creative team, such as a newspaper editorial office, is participating, the submission should include five to seven issues of the newspaper. For TV or radio teams, five to seven of their best programs or broadcasts should be submitted either in digital format or as direct links.

Applicants in the incentive category “Best Publicist Book Published in 2024” must submit one copy of the book to the Uzbekistan Journalistsʼ Union.

Required Documents

Submissions must be accompanied by:

Short biography of the author

Copy of the authorʼs passport or ID card and phone number

For group entries: Media registration certificate, and a copy of the organization headʼs passport or ID

Submission Process and Deadline

Creative works may be submitted to the Uzbekistan Journalistsʼ Union and its regional branches, through Uzbekistanʼs embassies abroad with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or directly by the authors in electronic format. Submissions will be accepted from the date of the contestʼs announcement until May 25, 2025.

Entries must be sent via Telegram to +998 99 466 10 25 (Uzbekistan Journalistsʼ Union) in the following formats:

• Print media: Scanned copies of published articles in PDF format;
• Online media: With links to the published materials;
• Television: Video materials from 3 to 30 minutes, with annotations and brief summaries;
• Radio: Audio materials from 3 to 30 minutes, with annotations and brief summaries;
• Photojournalism (incentive category): JPEG, TIFF, or PNG images with annotations and brief summaries.

Starting this year, the international contest for the “Oltin Qalam” National Award will be held in celebration of June 27 – Press and Mass Media Workersʼ Day. Winners will be honored at a formal ceremony on this date.