SPA Regional Awards 2026 open for entries

The Student Publication Association Regional Awards are back for another year!

Every year, student journalists and publications from across the country enter their best work into our regional awards, going up against their closest neighbours to take home a prize.

The awards are held for each of the SPA’s eight regions: London, the North, the Midlands, the South East, the South West, Ireland & Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The 2026 Regional Awards are a great opportunity to warm up for our national awards at #SPANC26.

For this year’s regional awards, we have an eight categories, split evenly between publication and individual, which our members can enter. Find out more on these below, plus how to enter.

The winners of the awards will be announced in early 2026, when we aim to host a range of regional events.

Publication awards

These categories only allow one entry per publication, usually this is done by the editor-in-chief.

Individual awards

You can either enter these awards yourself or nominate someone else.

Best Publication

Best Specialist Publication

Best Digital

Best Design (Print)

Best Journalist

Outstanding Commitment

Best Article

Best Photographer

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Enter the Regional Awards here!

You will be required to sign in with a Google account in order to fill out the entry form and upload files. If this is not possible for you, please contact chair@spajournalism.com.

Regional awards are a brilliant opportunity to showcase your publication’s hard work but also a chance to remind yourself of how far you’ve come - whether you’re submitting your first article or your 50th make sure you show off your best work!

Joe McFadden, Conference & Events Officer

Got any questions? Email Joe

Whether you're a news reporter, a culture reviewer, a photographer or anything in between, our Regional Awards have got a category for you. They're a great opportunity to get recognition for your hard work, and to practice putting an entry together ahead of our National Awards!

Matthew Stothard, SPA Chair

Entering the Regional Awards was such a great way to have my work recognised by professional journalists and was such a motivational boost. It set me up well to apply for the National Awards later in the year, and I enjoyed reading the winning entries from across my region.

Anna Boyne, Midlands Officer

The small print

The deadline for entries is 11:59pm on 17 November 2025. Any work submitted after this time will not be accepted.
Entrants must be students during the current academic year (2025/26) or have graduated last academic year (2024/25).
All work submitted must have been published in an SPA member publication between 15 November 2024 and 17 November 2025. Unfortunately, we cannot accept submissions published by anyone (including individual members of the SPA) in publications which are not SPA members, as we cannot ensure this work is fully student-led. Apply to become a member publication here.
Work can be submitted in English, Welsh or Gaelic.
Entries for awards in the individual categories must not have previously been submitted to the national awards in 2024 (please note, entries to the 2026 Regional Awards can still be entered into the 2025 National Awards). Where a portfolio is required, for example Best Journalist, you may include an article that was submitted to the 2025 National Awards.
The maximum number of entries per category is as follows:
- One per publication for: Best Publication, Best Digital, Best Design (Print), and Best Specialist Publication.
- Two per individual for: Best Article
- One per individual for: Outstanding Commitment, Best Journalist, and Best Student Photographer
In the event that more than the maximum number of entries is received, the SPA will endeavour to query with the publication's editor (for publication entries) or the individual journalist (for individual entries), but reserves the right to accept only the most recent entry received.
Any work that is entered may be used by the SPA for promotional purposes.
As in previous years, there will be no shortlisting for the regional awards this year.
The decisions of the judges are final.

TOP TIPS

Not sure where to start?

SPA trustee Jem Collins previously held this session on how to enter, get shortlisted and ultimately win awards. Pick up some top tips to give your stories the best shot!