AOP Digital Publishing Awards 2026 open for entries
Published: 08 Jan 2026
London, UK, 8th January 2026: The Association of Online Publishers (AOP) has announced its prestigious annual awards are now open for entries. The Digital Publishing Awards have returned, including three new categories for 2026, to celebrate the individuals and teams working to create, deliver, and monetise quality online content.
Coming into their 24th year, the awards continue to set the standard for editorial, commercial, partnership and publishing excellence. The deadline for this year’s entries falls on 12th March, and the winners will be announced at the AOP Awards dinner on 11th June 2026 at Old Billingsgate, London.
With 26 categories, awards are open to all members and non-members of the AOP. This year sees an increased focus on innovation, with The AOP Publishing Innovation Award – Audiences and The AOP Publishing Innovation Award – Revenues added to the roster of categories, alongside The AOP Publishing Business Effectiveness Award, which is also new for 2026.
Each category will be judged by an independent panel of digital experts, led by co-chairs Chris Cannon, Managing Director at TechFinitive and Jacqui Merrington, Director of AI at Mail Metro Media. The full list of judges can be viewed here.
“Innovation and adaptability are top of the priority list for digital publishers as we enter a year of inevitable change in the industry. We saw these attributes in huge volumes throughout 2025, with industry players collaborating to tackle rising challenges in the most positive way,” said Richard Reeves, Managing Director at AOP. “Once again, I am thrilled to give digital publishers, and the wider ecosystem, the opportunity to celebrate their wins and highlight the skilled teams and individuals that are both paving the way for the industry of the future and proving the enduring value of high-quality journalism every day.”
The full list of categories is as follows:
Publishing companies who have demonstrated success across several categories in the AOP Awards will be invited to enter the following category:
Entries should be made online and can be entered here.
Association of Online Publishers (AOP) is an industry body representing digital publishing companies that create original, branded, quality content. AOP champions the interests of media owners from diverse backgrounds including newspaper and magazine publishing, TV and radio broadcasting, and pure online media. For more information, please visit
