It's the end of the year, and you know what that means. Before you start thinking about Christmas carols, snow trips, and December office dinners, let us share some cheerful news. The Sigma Awards for data journalism are back again. We're delighted to start the hunt for 2023's best data projects. You send your work, we compile it, review it, and the most outstanding wins.
"The Sigmas are truly a labor of love for us. This is an award that recognizes people who rarely receive bylines – or even get credited at all – for the amazing journalism they produce. We are thrilled to be able to highlight their exceptional work in this way again this year,"
Aron Pilhofer, Sigma Awards co-chair and Chief Product Officer, Minneapolis Star Tribune
But we need your help. It's time to look back at the year that has past, and select the top data-driven journalism you've published. Whether you're on your own, in a small newsroom, or part of a bigger team, we want to know what are the best data projects you've worked on this year.
Firstly, for posterity, since all entries submitted to the Sigmas are then compiled in a massive database that helps us –and the data community at large– understand the evolution of data journalism throughout the years, and across the world. That's also why, thanks to the support of Google, we accept entries in eight languages. Because we want to enable everyone, no matter what languages they speak, to contribute to the global records of data journalism each year.
Last year we received 638 entries, from 332 organisations in 80 countries. To help us understand the context in which newsrooms operate in different parts of the world, and to better grasp the work behind outstanding pieces of data journalism from countries rarely represented in media awards, we've gathered over 35 international data journalism experts from 5 continents.
Marianne Bouchart
“What the Sigmas show over the four years of its existence is how global data journalism talent is; we’ve seen outstanding work from across the world, from small newsrooms and large, and under some of the most challenging conditions. One of our goals is to help foster that community of data journalists and make their work more visible.”
Gina Chua, Sigma Awards co-chair (Semafor)
You have until 17 January 2024 to apply online via the Sigmas online platform. And we've made this special guide for you, which includes everything there is to know about the Sigmas, so no question about the competition is left unanswered. You're welcome.
Marianne Bouchart
If you have any questions about the competition, get in touch with Marianne Bouchart, executive director, at marianne@sigmaawards.org, and Kuek Ser Kuang Keng, competition officer, at keng@sigmaawards.org.
You can also follow us on X @SigmaAwards and Facebook.
