A competition for the 20th “Oltin Qalam” National Award has been announced

The Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan, together with several organizations, announces the international competition for the 20th “Oltin Qalam” (Golden Pencil) National Award to widely promote advanced achievements in national and international journalism, foster a new way of thinking in line with the spirit of the New Uzbekistan, enrich national content, uphold human dignity, develop public awareness and thinking, strengthen an atmosphere of transparency and openness in society, create conditions for media professionals to demonstrate an active civic position, and cultivate critical and analytical thinking and a new approach to creativity among journalists.

Main awards

1. Grand National Award

In the field of television:

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

In the field of radio:

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

In the field of print media:

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

In the field of online media:

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

For the best material about Uzbekistan by a foreign journalist, 1 first place and 4 second places (across the categories of television, radio, print, and online media).

Additionally, 12 incentive nominations will be announced separately.

Winners and prize recipients of the competition:

The laureate of the Grand National Award will receive a special diploma, the “Oltin Qalam” statuette, and a car.

First-place winners will receive a diploma, the “Oltin Qalam” statuette, and a cash prize equal to 200 times the base calculation value.

Second-place winners will receive a diploma, the “Oltin Qalam” statuette, and a cash prize equal to 175 times the base calculation value.

Third-place winners will receive a diploma, the “Oltin Qalam” statuette, and a cash prize equal to 150 times the base calculation value.

Winners of the competition’s incentive nominations will receive diplomas, “Oltin Qalam” statuettes, and cash prizes equal to 100 times the base calculation value.

At the competition, 5 to 7 materials from each participant will be considered, published in print and online media, and broadcast on radio and television from April 22, 2025, to April 22, 2026. In the case of participation by a creative team – a newspaper editorial office – 5-7 issues of the newspaper shall be submitted, in the case of participation by a television or radio channel team – an electronic version (or a link) of 5-7 best television or radio programs shall be provided.

Those wishing to participate in the competition for the incentive nomination “For the best book in the publicistic genre published in 2025” shall submit one of their books to the Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan.

The following documents must be attached to the creative works submitted to the competition:

– brief information about the author and his/her professional activity (CV);

– a copy of the author’s passport or ID card, phone number;

– a copy of the registration certificate of the media outlet participating in the competition on a collective basis, and a copy of the head of the organization’s passport or ID card.

Creative works for the competition are accepted through the Union of Journalists of Uzbekistan and its regional branches, through the country’s diplomatic missions abroad with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and directly from authors in electronic form from the date of the competition’s announcement in the press until May 22.

Creative works should be sent to the Union of Journalists’ email address, info@jurnalistlar.uz, or via Telegram (OLTIN QALAM 2026) at +99870-484-71-79 in the following format:

– copies of materials (creative works in the print category) published in a newspaper or magazine (in PDF);

– materials in online media with a link provided;

– television video materials (3 to 30 minutes, in Telegram format with an annotation and a summary of the content);

– radio audio materials (3 to 30 minutes, with an annotation and a summary of the content);

– incentive nomination – creative works in photojournalism (with an annotation and a brief description of the content, in JPEG, TIFF, and PNG formats).

Winners and prize recipients of the “Oltin Qalam” National Award will be solemnly honored at a ceremony on June 27, the Press and Mass Media Workers Day.

Phone numbers: 71 244-37-87, 71 244-64-62.