Congratulations to the 2024 Next Challenge Winners
Six startups won $150,000 to support their innovative work creating the future of media.
Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media Group (APMG) just awarded $150,000 in grants to six innovative startups who won the 2024 Next Challenge for Media & Journalism. This was the third year of the national competition promoting groundbreaking ideas and trailblazing startups that will reinvent journalism and media over the coming decade. The Next Challenge is the largest startup competition open to nonprofit and for-profit media companies in the U.S.
The 2024 competition was supported by Knight Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Carlson Family Foundation, and American Public Media Group along with 14 national promotional partners. The May 22 awards celebration was held at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center as part of the Media Impact Forum, a national gathering of funders with a shared vision of a world in which compelling media serves the public interest. The event highlighted the work of all 31 division finalists in the competition as well as awarding the winners. You can watch the entire awards ceremony here.
2024 Next Challenge for Media & Journalism Winners
Grand Prize & NewsTech Award ($60,000)
Nota
Future of Local Journalism Award ($30,000)
Borderless Magazine
Power Platform Award ($30,000)
Recordical
Trust in News Award ($10,000)
Mapping Black California
Vision Award ($10,000)
Hark Audio
Public Choice Award ($10,000)
LOOKOUT Publications
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team at Nota, who strive to support newsrooms through innovative AI, machine learning, and NLP technologies. We believe empowering newsrooms with cutting-edge tools is crucial for maintaining a well-informed society.”
- Josh Brandau, CEO of Nota
“The value of the Next Challenge goes beyond grant money by amplifying our mission to some of the nation's leading news and media organizations and investors. It fuels our commitment to building a platform that equips creators to not only tell their stories, but also to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.”
- Michelle Kouri, CEO & Founder of Recordical
Evan Young, Chief Operating Officer at Nota, accepts the NewsTech award via Zoom at the 2024 Next Challenge Awards Celebration.
Nearly 400 media startups from across 42 U.S. states and territories began the 2024 Next Challenge application process. Twenty-five percent of this year’s applications were from non-profit organizations, and 55% had BIPOC founders. More than 60 volunteer judges experienced in media, journalism, entrepreneurship, and investing helped determine the winners. Division finalists received free training and were paired with industry mentors to hone their business plans and prepare for the final judging round.
