Welcome to the Shine School Media Awards!
The Shine School Media Awards is a free national competition that rewards a diversity of talent from secondary schools across the UK who work on the writing, editing, design and fund-raising for a school newspaper, magazine or multimedia project such as a podcast or digital publication.
The annual culmination of each year’s Shine Awards is a gala ceremony held in central London every summer with student workshops and incredible guest speakers.
The significant benefits of starting a Shine project include an enrichment of the school curriculum, an incentive to creativity and the chance for pupils to win national recognition and in the process enrich their CV and applications for university or college.
The Shine Awards is an endeavour of The Stationers’ Foundation, the charitable arm of The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers, one of the UK’s ancient livery companies.
Latest news
3rd March 2026
Edi Lea on being bold and writing what scares you
This week on ‘Ask the Winner,’ I’m talking to Edi Lea, winner of the 2025 award on our topic of the year ‘Leaders of tomorrow,’for her article “How to Start an Authoritarian Regime” – a satirical seven-step guide that made the judging panel fall off their chairs.
“It was really good fun writing it,” Edi recalls. “So fun to write and I hope it was fun to read.”
The article appeared in Exia, the magazine at City of Norwich School that Edi describes as “the pride and joy of our sixth form.” But as Edi explains, getting it there wasn’t easy, not least when you’re also one of the editors.
Our entrants speak...
“Creating a student publication is a wonderful way to involve pupils across a school and enable them to express themselves and be part of a community. It is then even more rewarding to be involved with the Shine Awards which celebrates their success and offers inspirational advice from industry professionals.”
Craig Cole, Head of Graphics, Photography & Printing Reed’s School, Surrey
More feedback from schools