Agri Guild Awards 2026 open for entries as judging panel announced

The awards recognise outstanding work by journalists in national and regional media, as well as consultants in the communications sector, across nine different categories. This year’s judging panel will be chaired by former journalist, Pat O’Keeffe, who is corporate affairs director of Tirlán. He will be joined by Professor Gerry Boyle, former director of Teagasc; Roz O’Shaughnessy, head of communications at Bord Bia; Liam Lavelle, executive producer at Agtel Productions; and Sara McCracken, communications specialist. The deadline for submissions of entries is 5pm on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony in Dublin on Thursday, November 19th chaired by former RTÉ broadcaster, Damien O’Reilly, who is EU affairs and communications manager at ICOS.

Calibre of entries
Commenting on the launch of the awards, Agri Guild chairperson, Stella Meehan said: “Every time we launch the Agri Guild Awards, we are blown away by the sheer number and calibre of entries.
“It is an opportunity to highlight the best of work carried out by journalists and communicators about the industry and we look forward to another stellar display of achievement at this year’s awards.
“We kindly thank our exclusive sponsor, FBD Insurance, for their generous and steadfast support of these awards.”

FBD support
Michael Berkery, chairman of FBD Trust said: “FBD is proud to continue our long-standing support of the Guild of Agricultural Journalists. Agricultural journalists and communicators play an important role in exploring and communicating the issues affecting farming, food production, and rural communities with integrity and professionalism.
“We are pleased to support awards that recognise excellence, commitment, and high standards across agri-journalism and communications.”

Role of journalists
Chair of the judging panel, Pat O’Keeffe said: “Having worked in agricultural journalism for 17 years, I have deep appreciation for the skill, integrity and commitment that underpin quality journalism. In an age of abundant information, the role of trusted journalists in reporting facts and informing audiences has never been more important.
“I am honoured to chair this year’s judging panel and to be joined by an excellent group of judges. I encourage professional communicators from across the sector to submit their work and look forward to a strong entry for what is always a highly competitive competition, culminating in the award of the coveted Bull.”

Categories
This year’s award categories include Best News Story Best Feature, Best Visual Report, Best Audio, Best Technical Report, Best Targeted Campaign, Best Environmental Reporting, Best Photograph, and The Rising Star Award. In addition to cash prizes for each category winner, ‘The Bull’, the prized bronze trophy, will be presented to the category winner whose exceptional merit is recognised by the adjudicating panel.

Important dates
The deadline for submissions of entries is 17:00 on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony in The Grand Hotel, Malahide, Co. Dublin on Thursday, November 19 chaired by former RTÉ broadcaster, Damien O’Reilly, who is EU affairs and communications manager at ICOS.