This is your last weekend to get your entry together for the Walkley Foundation’s Mid-Year Media Prizes including the ARN Ali Drower Scholarship. Entries close at 11.59pm AEST on Monday April 13.
ARN and The Walkley Foundation dedicated their annual scholarship for emerging journalists to Alison Drower, the late, respected journalist and mentor to the next generation. Ali died in September 2025.
ARN’s Head of News & Information, Fiona Ellis-Jones said:
“Ali Drower was a deeply respected journalist whose curiosity, insight and commitment to local storytelling shaped newsrooms across Australia. She had an exceptional ability to recognise potential – in stories, in communities and in the young journalists she mentored.
Dedicating this scholarship in Ali’s name is a meaningful way to honour her legacy. It reflects everything she stood for – opening doors, nurturing talent and strengthening the future of audio journalism. We are proud to continue to support emerging reporters in the same spirit of generosity and excellence that defined Ali’s career.”
ARN launched the Audio Scholarship in 2025 with RTRFM‘s Rachel Jennings the inaugural recipient.
The 2026 winner will receive:
• 10-week placement in one of ARN’s newsrooms located around Australia, consisting of:
• Introduction to FM news, including top audio brands KIIS and Gold
• Introduction to iHeart news podcast “Your News Now”
• Observe sourcing and reporting of breaking news
• Learn how local newsrooms connect with communities
• Write news bulletins in the commercial style
• Gather interviews and cut audio grabs
• Develop skills for using social media in a newsroom
• Record news bulletins for your portfolio
• A stipend of $10,000 to support travel to the ARN location, living expenses and accommodation for the duration of the scholarship.
Application details for the ARN Ali Drower Audio Scholarship can be found here.