It’s Journalism’s Big Night of the Year – the return of the Midlands Media Awards. And this year the Awards, back for the first time since the Covid outbreak in 2019, also includes categories aimed specifically at the region’s media students.

Organised by the Birmingham Press Club, a non-profit organisation that has been supporting the media industry in the Midlands for 160 years, the Awards will be held at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel in Birmingham city centre on Friday, November 14. Tickets for the event will be available from the Birmingham Press Club website.

It’s a star studded night and a chance for Midlands journalists and students to show off their talents to an audience packed with Editors and decision makers. Entries will be judged by a panel of experienced journalists, photographers, broadcasters and specialists in the communications industry.

Awards & Prizes

HOW TO MAKE A SUBMISSION TO THE MIDLANDS MEDIA AWARDS 2025.

1: If you don’t already have a FilmFreeway account click Sign Up for a free one (remember to select the “I want to submit my work” option)

2: Create a Project ready for submission
• For each award you want to enter create a new FilmFreeway ‘Project’ under your account by clicking ‘My Projects’
• For each ‘Project’ under Section 1: Project Information / Project Type use the following:
o If your submission is film format use ‘Film/Video’
o If your submission is audio format use ‘Music/Songwriting’
o If your submission is a PDF use ‘Script’
o If your submission is an image file use ‘Photography’
• Ensure you complete all details in Section 2: Submitter Information
• Complete as much information as you can / is pertinent to your media – if a question is not appropriate simply skip it.
• Once you have saved your Project information you will be presented with a screen to upload your submission.
• Once your submission is loaded and before you leave this page, please upload a photo of yourself under “Overview” in the box marked "Add Writer Headshot" (10Mb max file size)

3: Submit a Project to the Awards
• Log in to your FilmFreeway Account and go to https://filmfreeway.com/MidlandsMediaAwards2025
• Each submission will need to be submitted individually following the following process:
o Click “Submit Now”
o Select which Project you want to submit for which award, check ‘Free’, answer the
additional questions, click “Add to Cart and Checkout”.
o Make a final check in your cart of what you are submitting then click “Complete Order’.
• If you have more than one project you want to enter into the Awards please repeat the steps from the beginning
• You will receive email confirmation that your submission has been received. Good luck!

Rules & Terms

Birmingham Press Club (BPC) is now inviting entries to the Midlands Media Awards 2025.

ENTRY TIMINGS
• Submission is open for entries from 11 August 2025.
• The closing date for entries is 22 September, 2025. Entries received after this date will not be considered.

ENTRY TERMS AND CONDITIONS – PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
• Submissions should be made for work completed between 31 July 2024 and 31 July 2025.
• Entry to the Midlands Media Awards 2025 is free but each entry must be submitted via this website (FilmFreeway). All materials must be uploaded where indicated (eg, PDFs, MP4 files, MP3 files) or supplied in the form of website links. No hard copies will be accepted unless specifically referenced in the individual Award details.
• To make a submission entrants will need to create a free profile on FilmFreeway and create a project for their submission. Entry instructions can be found here.
• To enter, select the categories you wish to enter from the list opposite. Please ensure that if you are a Student you only enter ‘Student’ Awards and no other categories.
• Submissions must have been first broadcast, released or published on a media platform between 31 July 2024 and 31 July 2025.
• Programmes or content must have been produced, published, commissioned or creatively controlled by a Midlands based company or must be at least principally shot in the Midlands (55%) and/or principally produced in the Midlands.
• Midlands for the purposes of these Awards includes: Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire.
• Students wishing to enter any of the Student Awards must have been a Student between 31 July 2024 and 31 July 2025 and either live in the Midlands or study at a Midlands University / College.
• The Midlands Media Awards and Birmingham Press Club strongly encourages diversity, in all its forms. In common with other industry awards, entrants should bear in mind in selecting their entries that judges are asked to ensure that these awards reflect diversity within the industry and within wider society.
• You may enter your work regardless of whether or not you are a member of the Birmingham Press Club.
• Please ensure when submitting your entry that you complete all of the relevant boxes for each entry and attach any supporting documentation that you would like the judges to consider to the submission.
• Any website links you submit must be live, and remain live, until November 14 2025. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.
• BPC reserve the right to mention any entrants and to display any work or edit clips of their submission in any publicity and marketing relating to the event without copyright infringement.
• BPC assumes permission with each submission to rebroadcast on its website any clips of nominated entries shown at the ceremony. BPC may use any submitted materials on its website, social media and at the Awards event. Therefore, please ensure they have been cleared for copyright and by submitting them you give the BPC permission to use them.
• If an entry is under investigation for any reason, the entrant should make this
• known at the time of entry. BPC may reject an entry which is subject to a regulatory investigation.
• Entries must be endorsed by the television organisation or agency which transmitted or distributed the material.
• Soundtracks on news items should contain only the sound recorded at the time of shooting unless otherwise stated in the criteria.
• Entries cannot be returned.
• The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entered into

JUDGING
• Each category will be judged by a panel of independent Judges.
• The Judges reserve the right to move submissions to more appropriate categories if necessary.
• Details of the judges will be given in the Awards Ceremony Programme available at the Awards evening on 14 November 2025.

SHORT LISTED AND WINNERS
• You will be advised by email if you have been short listed.
• Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on November 14, 2025 and subsequently announced on this website.

FURTHER INFORMATION
• For enquiries relating to the Awards criteria please contact Press Club directors Fred Bromwich on 07815 660076 (fbromwich@icloud.com) or Peter Brookes on 07974 454503 (peter@brookesmedia.com).
• For any other queries please contact admin@midlandsmediaawards.uk. Please note that this email address is not manned daily so there may be a delay in responding to you.