Are you the UK's top financial freelancer?

The trophy for Freelance Journalist of the Year will be awarded to the freelance journalist who best covered finance-related issues in 2025.

Jan 16, 2026

Headlinemoney

Are you the UK's top financial freelancer?

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Do you write for a variety of audiences and titles?

Celebrating skilled financial journalism is at the heart of the Headlinemoney Awards, with categories recognising both staff and freelance writers covering money, business and finance.

For freelance writers, winning a Headlinemoney Award is a great opportunity to raise your profile and demonstrate your expertise.

In the Freelance Journalist of the Year category, judges will be looking for evidence that you were the best financial freelance journalist in 2025.

Did you pitch fresh and original ideas to editors? Were you able to successfully adapt your writing for various audiences and titles? Did you consistently cover issues important to readers?

There are also plenty of other categories for self-employed journalists to enter, whether they write for the B2B or Consumer press, including awards for specialisms such as Mortgages and Property, Pensions, Protection, Savings, Insurance and Investment.

Entry fees are NOT required for the Headlinemoney Awards, and all submissions are peer-judged by financial journalists and money media professionals.

⭐ ENTER HERE!

Closing dates:
Journalist awards: Entries will close at 11:55pm on Friday 6 February 2026

Please note, entries will not be accepted after the entry deadlines due to a limited judging timeframe.

How to enter:

Entry forms for all categories can be found here

You'll need to submit:

A short supporting statement (maximum 250 words) explaining why you should be considered for this award and why your submission deserves to win.
Three examples of your work, features, articles, investigations, etc, showcasing your skill as a freelance financial journalist.
A headshot of yourself for use in relevant Awards collateral and on the night at the Headlinemoney Awards ceremony.

Judges refer extensively to supporting statements during their deliberations, so be sure to include:

Pieces that show a selection of titles you have written for or stories on a variety of topics, to show your range.
A clear explanation of where your pieces were published and any useful background/context for each.
Relevant links so judges can see the impact of your stories/features/blogs, other editorial items of interest.
Any positive outcomes from your submissions, e.g. help for readers/consumers/industry, debate in Parliament, change in the law, a review into the way things are done, etc.
Evidence of your dedication, professionalism and reputation for efficiency.

When looking at your three examples of work, judges are likely to consider:

Is your copy well-written, accurate and useful for the audience concerned?
Do your submissions show your adaptability, and ability to write for a range of titles?
Are your submissions fresh and original? Do they explore new angles or provide new warnings?
Do they contain exclusive or hard-hitting investigative work? Or comprehensive/informative surveys?
Are your submissions campaigning and/or include a call-to-action?
Did you make accurate predictions/forecasts?
Did your submissions produce a positive result? For example, prompt a change in the law, a review into the way things are done, etc?
Where relevant, do they contain sensible tips for readers, further steps, etc?
Do your submissions make good use of aids such as tables, graphs, break-out boxes, case studies, etc?

Past winners:

2025 Emily Mee
2024 Hannah Smith
2023 Marc Shoffman
2022 Marc Shoffman
2021 Marc Shoffman
2020 Laura Whateley

Hall of Fame - All journalist winners

Judging & shortlists

Entries in each category will be scrutinised by a panel of judges drawn from the financial media. Judges will determine the shortlists, which will be announced in March/April 2026.

After shortlisting, the final and all-important judging phase to decide all the category winners will take place. Judging panels will engage in a discussion to select the winners.

Winners

The winners will be revealed at London Hilton on Park Lane on Tuesday 23 June 2026, in a celebration widely acknowledged as the biggest night of the year for the UK’s money media.

Entry enquiries:
Claire Beard, Head of Content & Strategy, Headlinemoney on claire.desilva@headlinemoney.co.uk

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Editorial contacts

Claire Beard, Head of Content & Strategy
Working hours 9.30am - 3pm, Monday - Friday
claire.desilva@headlinemoney.co.uk
07714 660 846

Hanita Patel, Content Manager
hanita.patel@headlinemoney.co.uk

PR membership/subscription contact

Martin Quinn, Head of Group Sales
martin.quinn@headlinemoney.co.uk
020 8075 8155 / 07944 043556

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