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Hugo Young Award

Recognising young talent in political opinion writing

The Hugo Young Award will open for entries in January 2023

The Hugo Young Award is a political opinion writing competition created in memory of Hugo Young, a political columnist at The Guardian for almost 20 years. Hugo was one of the most influential figures in British political journalism.

Championing the best political opinion writing amongst students and young people across the UK, this award celebrates Hugo’s legacy by encouraging fresh voices, new perspectives and great writing which, now more than ever, are essential to the future of quality, independent political journalism.

Key information

Full guidance and terms & conditions will be released in January. The exact date will be announced soon.

The competition will open for entries in January 2023 and will remain open for around one month.

There will be two award categories: 16-18 age category and 19-25 age category.

You must be resident in the UK to enter.

Only those from a state school background can apply. This means that you are either currently attending a state-funded school or have previously attended one. This criteria is included so that we can make sure we are championing voices typically underrepresented in the media.

Prizes for the 16-18 age category include being published on our website, a one-year digital subscription to the Guardian, a trophy and more.

Prizes for the 19-25 age category include being published on the Guardian website and in the newspaper, a cash prize, work experience, a trophy and more.

What are we looking for?

A well researched political opinion piece. We’re defining politics as the choices that individuals, governments, corporations and other groups make, and how these choices impact society or a group of people. This means that most topics can be looked at from a political angle, so don't feel limited in your subject matter. Previous topics have included the climate crisis, COVID-19, women’s rights and homelessness.

Timely for publication in March/April 2023.

You are able to write in your own voice and style.

The piece brings a fresh perspective on a political subject (this is particularly important for the 19-25 age category).

The piece is persuasive, with a clear structure.