The Thematic Awards recognise excellence in scholarship addressing themes of contemporary significance in the field of media and communication studies.
A new theme, nominated by IAMCR's 37 Sections and Working Groups, is introduced each year, which then runs for three cycles over a three-year period. Each year, there are a total of three thematic awards in operation, focusing on different research themes and in this way allowing for more variation in scholarly areas to be awarded.
The Climate Change Communication Award, was first offered in 2015 in collaboration with the International Environmental Communication Association (IECA). It was designated as the first thematic award in 2023. It is granted to papers that develop and explore innovative approaches to climate change communication.
The Decolonising the Digital Award, launched in 2025 will be offered to work that contribute to our understanding of the new global dynamics of digital politics, cultures, and infrastructures, with the aim of identifying modes of control and resistance, and ultimately, challenging digital colonialism.
An additional thematic award will be introduced in 2026 to complete the rotation.
Thematic awards are open to all IAMCR members from all career stages.
Photo: Trophies (cc) Flickr user Brad.K
IAMCR will offer three Decolonising the Digital Awards for papers accepted for presentation at IAMCR 2025 in Singapore. This new thematic award will be granted for three consecutive years to work that contribute to our understanding of the new global dynamics of digital politics, cultures, and infrastructures.
IAMCR will offer three Climate Change Communication Awards in 2025 for papers accepted for presentation at IAMCR 2025 in Singapore. The awards are for papers that develop and explore innovative approaches to climate change communication.
IAMCR is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Climate Change Communication Award: Manoj Kumar Das and Subha Das Mollick (Sikkim University, India), Joseph Gotte (Universite Paris-Est-Creteil, France) and Julia Cope (Annenberg School of Communication, University of Pennsylvania, USA).
IAMCR is pleased to announce that the 2022 Climate Communication Award will be awarded to Gabi Mocatta (Deakin University & University of Tasmania) and Chloe Lucas (University of Tasmania) for their project: "Curious Climate Interactive", with an Honourable mention to Shravan Regret Iyer.
IAMCR is pleased to announce that the 2021 New Directions for Climate Communication Research Fellowship will be awarded to Anne Leitch and Bridget Backhaus of Griffith University, Queensland, Australia for their project: Warming Up: Exploring creative audio production for climate change communication on community radio.
IAMCR is pleased to announce that the 2020 New Directions for Climate Communication Research Fellowship has been awarded to Bronwin Patrickson for her proposal Playful Impact.
IAMCR is pleased to announce that the 2019 New Directions for Climate Communication Research Fellowship has been awarded to John Cook, Emily Vraga, and Sojung Kim for their proposal Countering Climate Misinformation with Humor and Active Inoculation.
IAMCR is pleased to announce that the 2018 New Directions for Climate Communication Research Fellowship will be awarded to Meaghan McKasy for her proposal The Effect of Emotion, Knowledge, and Media Use on Attitudes and Public Opinion of Carbon Neutral Pledges..
IAMCR is pleased to announce that the 2017 New Directions for Climate Communication Research Fellowship will be awarded to Hanna E. Morris for her proposal Painting with Light: Climate Change and the Photographic Imaginary.
IAMCR is pleased to announce that the 2016 IAMCR Climate Change Communication Research in Action Award will be offered to Sunita Narain, director general of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in New Delhi, India. The award recognise researchers whose work has had a notable positive impact on the practice of climate communication.
IAMCR is pleased to announce that the 2015 New Directions for Climate Communication Research Fellowship will be awarded to Dr. Cornelia Brantner for her proposal Comparing Climate Change Discourse and Deliberation on Twitter: Topics, Arguments, Actors, Networks, and Discourse Quality. An honorable mention will be awarded to Christopher Shaw.