National Press Club annual awards open for entries

The National Press Club is now accepting entries for its annual journalism awards, which seek to recognize and honor professional journalists who produced outstanding work in 2021.

The deadline to submit entries is May 2, 2022. Review the full contest details online and find last year’s winners here.

 

Some awards include cash prizes up to $1,000 or one free year of Club membership. Entries may be submitted by either journalists or their employers.

The journalism award categories cover a wide range of topics and writing styles including politics, breaking news, consumer news, foreign coverage, use of print, online, broadcast news techniques and news photos.

“The awards are intended to recognize the best in both traditional and nontraditional journalism,” said NPC President Jen Judson. “We hope to encourage entries from a broad range of media outlets to highlight the important role journalists have in informing, educating, and inspiring the public.”

Making its debut this year and named for Club member Nell Minow, journalist, and movie critic, the Nell Minow Award for Cultural Criticism honors excellence in cultural criticism. The prize recognizes original critiques addressing the state of society or unique commentary on the human experience as related to arts, media, politics, identity, and community.

“Outstanding commentary and criticism culture hold promise for illuminating tensions, disappointments, and hopes for society,” said Martha Minow, Nell’s sister, and professor at Harvard University. “Nell’s film and cultural criticism exemplifies how such writing can inspire better conversations and deeper reflections across generations and communities. Such work is invaluable during this complex time for cultural criticism and for the world. This award lifts up such efforts.”

Here is a full list of awards in the contest:

• Angele Gingras Humor Award
• Ann Cottrell Free Animal Reporting Award
• Arthur Rowse Award for Press Criticism
• Breaking News
• Consumer Journalism Award
• Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence
• Joan M. Friedenberg Online Journalism Award
• Joseph D. Ryle Award for Excellence in Writing on the Problems of Geriatrics
• Lee Walczak Award for Political Analysis
• Michael A. Dornheim Award (for coverage of aerospace, defense, or the airline industry)
• Nell Minow Award for Cultural Criticism
• News Photography
• Newsletter Journalism Award
• Sandy Hume Memorial Award for Excellence in Political Journalism
• Washington Regional Reporting Award

The winners are expected to be honored during an awards program at the Club later this year.