The Rural Press Club of Victoria is inviting journalists and photographers in rural and regional newsrooms across the state to submit their best work in the RPCV’s 2026 annual awards.
Nominations close on Sunday, July 19, ahead of our night-of-nights at Melbourne Town Hall on Friday, September 4.
“This year’s event is extra special given we are marking the club’s 60th anniversary in 2026,” RPCV president Kellie Lazzaro said.
“The RPCV has had a busy 12 months launching our inaugural mentor program and scholarship bursary as well as honouring the Lifetime Achievers of our industry – now it’s time to celebrate the everyday work our members do to serve their local communities with trusted news and information.”
The RPCV encourages every newsroom in Victoria to celebrate the work of their journalists and photographers by nominating their best stories and photos from the 2025/26 financial year.
The RPCV is thrilled to welcome world-leading imaging company, Canon as our naming rights sponsor for the Photographer of the Year category – with a generous prize on offer this year – a Canon EOS R50V kit.
This year the RPCV has also introduced a new award category which distinguishes regional investigative work from outstanding feature stories.
The RPCV invites nominations in the following categories:
The RPCV has a cap of three entries for each entrant, including those with joint bylines.
Entries will be accepted until 5pm Sunday, July 19. Shortlisted entries will be announced in August.
Tickets to the awards night will be available for purchase on the RPCV website in late-July.
Click here for a new photo gallery of awards nights dating back to 2014, courtesy of The Weekly Times.
ruralpressclubvictoria.com.au/photo-galleries
Stories eligible for nomination must have been published between July 1, 2025 through to June 30, 2026.
Entry is free on renewal of your RPCV membership subscription for the 2026/27 financial year. In order to nominate, you must be an RPCV member.
If you are unsure of your membership status, please email admin@ruralpressclubvictoria.com.au
Please note, entries will only be accepted in PDF, YouTube or SoundCloud format.
Judges will not consider online stories that sit behind a paywall, unless the entrant provides the article in PDF format
Please note, no extension for submissions will be granted beyond the July 19 deadline.
Any nomination that fails to comply with the stated requirements or lacks integral information will be considered invalid.
Should you have any queries relating to your entry, please feel free to contact the RPCV President Kellie Lazzaro, and 2026 Awards Coordinator Laura Poole at awards@ruralpressclubvictoria.com.au
Entries will be accepted until 5pm Sunday, July 19.
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