By JKNewsMedia
SUBMISSIONS HAVE opened for the 34th Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (DAME), with entries invited across 25 categories that span reporting, commentary, documentary-drama, aesthetics, and overall awards.
The organisers led by Mr. Lanre Idowu, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Editor-in-Chief, Diamond Publications Ltd, confirmed that reporting categories include business, child-friendly reporting, education, energy, health, investigative, judicial, Lagos, radio, solid minerals, sports, and television.
Commentary prizes, a statement issued, will be awarded in editorial cartooning, editorial writing, and informed commentary. Documentary-drama categories cover radio drama, television drama, and television documentary, while the aesthetics section will reward best designed newspaper, best media website, child-friendly photography, and news photography.
The overall awards recognise newspaper of the year, editor of the year, and child-friendly medium.
According to the call for entries, reporting submissions must reflect DAME’s ABCADER principle, which emphasises accuracy, balance, contextual analysis, depth of research, engaging use of language, and relevance of the subject.
Commentary submissions will be judged using the Essential Sextets of subject, substance, significance, structure, style, and size.
For editorial cartoons, the organisers stressed dexterity in art and copy, while aesthetics entries will be assessed on how art enhances editorial presentation.
The statement also explained that the overall prizes are designed to reward the total performance of news organisations across all categories. Individual winners will receive a DAME plaque, a cash prize, a certificate of merit, professional tools such as a laptop or tablet, and books. Institutional winners will receive a DAME plaque and certificate of merit.
The organisers noted that entries must be works published or broadcast in 2024. All submissions should be uploaded to the DAME website at www.dameawards.com before the close of business on Wednesday, 17 September 2025.
Each entry can only be submitted in one category, and series will count as a single entry.
No individual is allowed to submit more than two entries in any category.
The awards are supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Lagos State Government (LASG), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Nigeria LNG, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Ade Osinubi, STI Plc, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals (FMSM), and the memorial trusts of Ahmed Onibudo, Justice Omotayo Onalaja, Latoye Idowu, Segun and Elsie Olusola, Hakeem Shitta, and the late Dr. Tunji Oseni.
Further information is also available via WhatsApp on 0703-319-0190 or by phone on 0802-350-8533.
DAME, in the release, described itself as “the professionals’ choice” which informed why it is prepared for the 34th annual celebration of excellence in Nigerian media.
