Submissions Open for 2026 Sigma Awards
January 11, 2026

GIJN is excited to launch a new edition of the Sigma Awards, which recognizes the best of global data journalism. Submissions are now open for data projects published in 2025.

We are inviting journalists from all regions to identify their best data work and submit it for consideration. We are maintaining the no-category rule for the award and will have experts in data journalism from around the world to serve on the jury and prize committee. Work from individuals and small newsrooms, as well as larger newsroom teams, is welcome.

The Sigma Awards were founded in 2019, and GIJN became the official host organization earlier this year.

Criteria for the 2026 Award

• Entries must be for data projects published in the 2025 calendar year (between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025).
• Entries must be submitted via our online form.
• Applicants can enter as many projects as they want.
• Applicants have to specify if they are applying as part of a large or a small newsroom or as an individual, where applicable.
• The full Sigma Awards rules can be found here.

All entries submitted to the Sigma Awards are available on a database that allows the community to learn from the work of others, to get inspiration, and to explore the growth and evolution of data journalism from around the world over the years.

The last edition of the award received submissions of 498 data journalism submissions from dozens of countries and six regions. In this story, applicants can read more about the 2025 Sigma Award winners, including details on the tools and techniques they used in the winning projects.

Apply for the 2026 Awards here, and if you have any questions about the competition, you can get in touch with us at sigmas@gijn.org. We are looking forward to hearing from you!