Students worldwide can enter from September 1, with the new ISBC Talent Hub to launch during the December 3 Grand Finale.
The International Student Broadcasting Championship (ISBC) has officially opened entries for its 2026 global competition, inviting student broadcasters, journalists, podcasters, video creators, producers, digital storytellers and esports casters from around the world to compete on an international stage.
Entries are open from September 1 to October 30, with professional judging and the ISBC People’s Choice competition running from November 9 to 20.
The Championship will culminate in the ISBC 2026 Grand Finale on December 3, where this year’s winners will be announced and ISBC will unveil the next evolution of its global platform, the ISBC Talent Hub, designed to create stronger connections between students, faculty and the international media industry.
ISBC 2026 At A Glance
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Entries Open: September 1, 2026
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Entries Close: October 30, 2026
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Judging: November 9–20, 2026
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People’s Choice: November 9–20, 2026
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Grand Finale & Winners Announcement: December 3rd, 2026
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ISBC Talent Hub Launch: December 3rd, 2026
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2025 Station of the Year: Shock Radio, University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom
From Competition to Career
ISBC was created to help emerging media creators make the transition from education into professional industry.
Students compete across disciplines including broadcasting, podcasting, journalism, television and video, digital content, production and esports, with entries assessed by working media professionals from around the world.
For Phillip Vinciullo, Founder of ISBC, the Championship is only one part of a much larger objective.
"The Championship gives emerging creators an opportunity to have their work seen and assessed by industry professionals from around the world, but recognition was never intended to be the end of the journey," Vinciullo said.
"The bigger challenge is what happens next. How do we help talented students become visible to industry? How do we help educators create stronger connections with the professional world? And how do we give employers a better way to discover the next generation of talent? The ISBC Talent Hub is the next stage of that mission."
The Talent Hub will expand ISBC beyond its annual competition campaign and create a more permanent platform connecting the three groups central to the organisation’s mission: students, faculty and industry.
A Truly Global Competition
ISBC 2026 follows an international 2025 Championship that saw winners and runners-up recognised from 12 countries across five continents.
The prestigious 2025 Station of the Year title was awarded to Shock Radio from the University of Salford in Manchester, United Kingdom, following a highly competitive global campaign.
Institutions and creators from the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, the Philippines, Japan, Australia and other regions featured prominently throughout the competition.
Marcel Marais, Co-Founder of ISBC, said the ability to expose emerging creators to an international audience remains central to ISBC’s purpose.
"A student creating content in Manchester, Manila, Perth, Pretoria or Pennsylvania can suddenly have their work placed in front of professionals and other creators on the other side of the world," Marais said.
"Talent exists everywhere. Opportunity doesn't always exist everywhere. ISBC is about helping close that gap."
ISBC’s judging model brings together current professionals from across broadcasting, journalism, production, digital media and content industries, giving participants the opportunity to have their work assessed against contemporary professional expectations.
People’s Choice Returns
The ISBC People’s Choice competition will again run alongside professional judging from November 9 to November 20.
People’s Choice allows audiences, institutions, students, families and communities around the world to support their favourite finalists and gives emerging creators another opportunity to build visibility beyond their existing networks.
December 3 Marks the Next Evolution of ISBC
The ISBC 2026 Grand Finale on December 3 will reveal this year’s category winners, runners-up and major Championship honours.
It will also serve as the global launch and showcase of the ISBC Talent Hub.
The new platform is being developed to extend the relationship between students, education and industry beyond the competition itself, creating greater opportunities for emerging creators to develop their professional visibility, discover resources and connect with the wider media ecosystem.
"December 3 won't simply be the end of ISBC 2026," Marais said. "In many ways, it will be the beginning of the next version of ISBC."
How to Enter
Students can enter ISBC 2026 at ISBC.CO, where participants can access competition categories, eligibility information, entry requirements and supporting resources.
Faculty and educational institutions are also encouraged to share the Championship with current students and recent graduates and become part of ISBC’s growing international network.
About ISBC
The International Student Broadcasting Championship (ISBC) is a global platform dedicated to discovering, developing and connecting the next generation of media talent.
Created by leaders across industry and education, ISBC connects emerging creators with working professionals through international competition, professional assessment, resources, networking and career-focused opportunities.
Spanning broadcasting, podcasting, journalism, television and video, digital content, production and esports, ISBC exists to help emerging creators move from education to industry and from talent to opportunity.
Check out our categories, register your account and enter now!
