DAILY NEWSPAPERS AND NEWS SYNDICATES
Newspapers Breaking News
First Place
“Texas Flood Disaster”
Staff of San Antonio Express-News, Austin American-Statesman and Houston Chronicle
Judges’ comments: The combined efforts of the three newspapers showed strong varied coverage of a horriffic event with a clear demonstration of a community nework that allowed reporters to cover the whole story quickly. Early reports show important information for locals and later reports speak truth to power by fact checking official statements, and bring dignity to the victims with profiles. Overall and fantastic, well rounded and important entry.
Second Place
“Chicago-born Robert Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV”
Chicago Tribune Staff
Third Place
“Trump says he’ll send troops to Portland”
The Oregonian/OregonLive staff
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Newspapers local news beat coverage or continuing story in top 20 media market
First Place
“Chicago Under ICE”
Dan Mihalopoulos, Lauren FitzPatrick, Chip Mitchell, Tom Schuba, Sophie Sherry and Frank Main
WBEZ Chicago and Chicago Sun-Times
Judges’ comments: In a crowded field filled with a number of strong examples of beat reporting, the Sun-Times and WBEZ coverage of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown stood out for its detailed, shoe-leather reporting that showed the real-life toll on families and individuals caught up in the chaos.
Second Place
“Turmoil, Discontent and Theft at the LIRR”
Alfonso A. Castillo
Newsday
Third Place
“A3 Foundation package”
Douglas Hanks
Miami Herald
Newspapers local news beat coverage or continuing story not in top 20 media market
First Place
“The Intersection”
Noelle Crombie
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Judges’ comments: Crombie hits all the bases in her beat reporting: Writing, sourcing, shoe leather, determination and readability. Through widely different topics, her storytelling keeps the reader engaged and fascinated by the facts and characters in each compelling tale.
Second Place
“The KCFD Files”
Judy L. Thomas and Mike Hendricks
The Kansas City Star
Third Place
“Rural community coverage in NW Washington”
Sophia Gates
Cascadia Daily News
Newspapers international news beat coverage or continuing story
First Place
“The Trump / Africa Divide”
The Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism
Judges’ comments: Clear, concise and deeply human, this package cut straight to the point while illuminating the sweeping international ramifications of the Trump administration’s foreign aid decisions — capturing how billions disappeared almost overnight and how African countries scrambled to respond. That this was achieved with a lean team of part-time journalists and freelancers, scraping inaccessible data and analyzing contracts and lobbying filings on a limited budget, is remarkable — made more so by the fact that sources were often too frightened to speak, fearing reprisals, legal consequences, or worse.
Second Place
“Disarming Environmental Disinformation”
The International Center For Journalists
Third Place
“Uncovered: Real Estate Secrecy and Sanctions in the South”
Tony Bartelme, John Dell’Osso, Thad Moore, Glenn Smith and Christian Boschult of The Post and Courier and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Newspapers news series in top 20 media market
First Place
“Atlanta Journal-Constitution Data Surge”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Staff
Judges’ comments: The AJC’s series paints a vivid picture of what could be around the corner for Atlantans and their landscape as more and more mega-sized data centers follow the “digital gold rush” to metro Atlanta. Along with the pros that this booming industry can deliver (jobs and tax revenue), the series also identifies cons — many voiced by neighbors of existing centers in Virginia, currently the top data center market in the U.S. The reporting and visual components offer a clear warning — for Atlanta and beyond — of the need for thoughtful planning for these centers as AI and cloud storage needs grow.
Second Place
“Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect”
Stephanie Zimmermann and Frank Main
Chicago Sun-Times
Third Place
“Hospitals and Guardianship”
Emily Hoerner, Christy Gutowski and Lisa Schencker
Chicago Tribune
Newspapers news series not in top 20 media market
First Place
“VICIOUS: An Investigation into How Ohio Laws Fail Thousands of Dog Attack Victims”
Staff of Columbus Dispatch, Akron Beacon Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer and Canton Repository
Judges’ notes: Lax laws on vicious dogs in Ohio got a rewrite after a coalition of newspapers examined mauling cases statewide, exposing how sometimes-deadly attacks held little accountability.
Second Place
“Invisible Killer”
Max Filby, Danae King and Samantha Hendrickson
The Columbus Dispatch
Third Place
“Actual Innocence: A Fight for Justice, 48 Years in the Making”
Jessie Christopher Smith
The Oklahoman
Newspapers local interest column on variety of subjects
First Place
Lisa Falkenberg
Houston Chronicle
Judges’ comments: Falkenberg writes with grace and the authority that comes from solid reporting. The columns were clearly thought out on an original premise and ended with either a call to action or something the reader couldn’t shake.
Second Place
“The 2025 New Jersey Governor’s Race”
Tom Martello
NJ Advance Media
Third Place
Scott Maxwell
Orlando Sentinel
Newspapers special or feature column on one subject
First Place
Mark Lamster
Dallas Morning News
Judges’ comments: Mark Lamster’s authoritative perspective, knife-edge and often hilarious writing, is everything a reader would want in a critic, in this case, architectural criticism. One example: “Of all the irresponsible, ill-conceived, short-sighted, counter-productive, cynical, philistine and downright dumb ideas I’ve heard in my time writing about Dallas, the prospect of razing City Hall stands alone. Demolishing architect I.M. Pei’s iconic building would be an act of epic mismanagement indefensible on aesthetic, environmental, financial or moral grounds.”
Second Place
MacKenzie Chung Fegan
San Francisco Chronicle
Third Place
“A Presidency For Sale”
Mohamad Bazzi
Guardian US
Newspapers editorial writing
First place
Emily Hoeven
San Francisco Chronicle
Judges’ comments: Emily Hoeven looks at California’s approach to mental illness, shows how it not only does not help the patient, but also harms the public. She issues a call to action: Develop an evidence-based discharge plan for the patient.
Second place
Tony Quesada
San Antonio Express-News
Third place
“A Policy of Denial: Houston’s Silence Enables Trump’s Immigration Dragnet”
Regina Lankenau
The Houston Chronicle
Newspapers sports opinion by an individual
First place
Steve Politi
NJ Advance Media
Judges’ comments: Steve Politi tells stories of what’s wrong with high school sports, of a coach’s commitment to his players, and of a football star who was a legend in his hometown. It was all great stuff, we couldn’t put it down. Bravo.
Second place
David Murphy
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Third place
Tom Silverstein
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
tom.silverstein@jrn.com
Newspapers sports news writing by an individual or team
First Place
“Phillies Talk”
Scott Lauber
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Judges’ comments: Scott Lauber writes in a clippy, insightful and engaging way about topics that Phillies fans are talking and thinking about: Batting orders. The weirdness of trade time. The rise of the torpedo bat. This is a reporter who knows his beat, his talents and best of all, his audience — the baseball-loving readers of the Inquirer. Keep it up.
Second Place
Jason Wolf
The Arizona Republic
Third Place
“NIL at the University of Illinois”
Stacy St. Clair and Jodi S. Cohen
Chicago Tribune/ProPublica
Newspapers sports feature by an individual or team
First Place
Alex Coffey
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Judges’ comments: A basketball coach who can’t speak due to ALS but still helps the Bucknell basketball team break down a zone defense. Remembering an Eagles fan and true friend lost in the New Orleans terrorist attacks. A pilgrimage to the small western Pennsylvania town where a Hall of Famer was just one of the guys. Alex Coffey’s stories connect with what’s most compelling about sports — the way that sports are played but more important how sports reveal character, for the players on the field and for all of us.
Second Place
Mike Sielski
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Third Place
Sam McDowell
The Kansas City Star
Newspapers feature writing by an individual in top 20 media market
First Place
Reid Forgrave
Minnesota Star Tribune
Judges’ comments: The time Reid Forgrave invests in getting to know his subjects translates into compelling and compassionate stories about hope, grief, fear and perseverance. All well-written and rich in details.
Second Place
Adam Clark
NJ Advance Media
Third Place
“It Broke Me”
William Wan
The Washington Post
Newspapers feature writing by an individual not in top 20 media market
First Place
Theoden Janes
The Charlotte Observer
Judges’ comments: Theoden Janes makes you feel the raw emotions of people facing some of the worst life can give. And in kind, you may put yourself in their proverbial shoes as you read these stories. Beautifully told.
Second Place
Blake Nelson
The San Diego Union Tribune
Third Place
“Beyond the Oklahoma headlines”
Jenni Carlson
The Oklahoman
Newspapers business news coverage, commentary and/or columns.
First Place
“Dollars for Detention”
Shirsho Dasgupta
Miami Herald
Judges’ notes: Shirsho Dasgupta looks at two contractors who are key to Florida’s efforts to detain illegal immigrants and house them in ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ and how the state attempted to conceal its dealings with them and other contractors. Excellent reporting.
Second Place
“CURE Awash in Complaints, Lawsuits”
Chad Livengood
The Detroit News
Third Place
“Zombie Debt”
Bloomberg staff
Newspapers education writing
First Place
“Unchecked: Hidden Risks of AI in Education”
Sharon Lurye of The Associated Press
and Claire Bryan of The Seattle Times
Judges’ comments: This series pinpointed unexpected hidden AI risks with a red flag warning for students and institutions. Well-written and spot on in today’s digital world.
Second Place
“Florida’s Supercharged School Voucher Program: An investigation”
Annie Martin and Leslie Postal
Orlando Sentinel
Third Place
“Chicago Graduation Rate Rises as Absenteeism Surges”
Sarah Karp, WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times, Mila Koumpilova and Kae Petrin, Chalkbeat
Newspapers health or science writing
First Place
“Standard of Fear”
Lauren Caruba and Marin Wolf
Dallas Morning News
Judges’ comments: This series about the impact of the state’s ban on abortions isn’t just about babies. It is also about women’s health care and family decisions about where to live, work and create families. The series provides a mirror into the soul of Texas and its political leanings.
Second Place
“Cancer Capitalism”
Bloomberg staff
Third Place
“Broken Practice”
David Olson, Arielle Martinez and Josh Solomon
Newsday
Newspapers environmental writing In top 20 media market
First Place
“Permian Toxic Water”
Bloomberg Staff
Judges’ comments: Great reporting, infographics and other visuals in the telling of a story with serious implications for the local environment and land, as well as the larger economy.
Second Place
“Floods of Trouble”
Alex Harris and Susan Merriam
Miami Herald
Third Place
“Lead City”
Staff of WBEZ Chicago, Grist and Inside Climate News
Newspapers environment writing not in top 20 media market
First Place
“SC Monkey Business”
Marilyn Thompson and Mitchell Black
The Post and Courier
Judges’ comments: Incredible in-depth reporting on the history and current controversy over monkey breeding for medical testing in South Carolina. Pieces were well-written, well- researched, and the team clearly spent a lot of time on or near the island verifying claims and doing the work.
Second Place
Caitlin Looby
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Third Place
“Tracking the Local Impact of Trump’s Policies”
Sophie Hartley and Karl Schneider
The Indianapolis Star
Newspapers investigative reporting in top 20 media market
First Place
“Exposing Misconduct in L.A. County’s Historic $4 Billion Sex Abuse Settlement”
Rebecca Ellis
Los Angeles Times
Judges’ comments: This incredible investigation started out of beat reporting at the county courthouse and revealed layers of misconduct in a $4 billion sex-abuse settlement from Los Angeles County. We admire the hours spent outside a social services office, trying to find and secure reliable sources, the tenacity, the curiosity and the results of this reporting. It’s a crime that actual abuse victims’ cases will have to wait for a judge’s review but recognize the swift results.
Second Place
“Veterans Affairs’ $193 billion disability program rife with waste and abuse”
The Washington Post staff
Third Place
“The Opaque World of U.S. Real Estate”
Staff of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Post and Courier
Newspapers investigative reporting not in top 20 media market
First Place
“Deadly Dust”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Staff
Judges’ comments: Black lung is making a powerful comeback in America’s coal fields as played-out mines are scrubbed with machines that scour the last ore, releasing underlying silicates scarring miners’ lungs. When federal inspectors were going to be eliminated in the region, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette dug into the issue, revealing through poignant profiles the degree of suffering and the startling increase in silica exposure. After the paper’s series ran, the decision to cut inspectors was reversed.
Second Place
“Duty to Disclose”
Ashley Luthern, Ben Jordan and Mario Koran
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, TMJ4 and Wisconsin Watch
Third Place
“Hawaiian perks”
Jamie Goldberg
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Newspapers public service in top 20 media market
First Place and BEST IN SHOW
“Tesla’s Dangerous Doors”
Dana Hull, Emily Chang and Staff
Bloomberg
Judges’ comments: There’s a question at the heart of this project that is almost painfully simple: Why couldn’t they get out? The Bloomberg team spent a year chasing that after a Thanksgiving Eve crash killed three college students, not from the impact, but because no one could open the doors. What followed exposed electric door handles as a hidden gamble automakers and regulators never fully reckoned with. Original data sets, FOIA records, and graphics telling readers how to escape their own cars … amazingly, information most owners didn’t have. Federal investigations opened. Legislation was introduced. Industrywide design changes followed. That’s the full arc of accountability journalism, and this team ran it all the way out.
Second Place
“Dangerous Roads”
Newsday Staff
Newsday
Third Place
“Killer Train”
Miami Herald staff
Newspaper public service not in top 20 media market
First Place
“Investigating Vacancies at Milwaukee Public Schools and the Ripple Effects Harming Students”
Rory Linnane
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Judges’ comments: Government offers no more important service than properly educating our children. In Milwaukee, tight budgets meant a drift toward rewarding administration of that by shrugging off the teacher drain and other fundamental metrics. An analysis from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel illuminated the issue, and brought about reforms. Milwaukee parents and generations hence are well-served by their hometown newspaper.
Second Place
“Slow Justice”
Kyle Hopkins, Marc Lester, Lucas Waldron and Zisiga Mukulu
Anchorage Daily News / ProPublica
Third Place
“No Place to Sleep”
Hearst CT Media staff
Editorial cartoons
First Place
Jeff Koterba
Cagle Cartoons
Judges’ comments: Jeff’s cartoons capture what people are thinking, feeling, suspecting … and do so in a clean, clever way. Donald Trump skiing around the truth, leaving a woman’s outline in his wake … Lady Liberty sent back to Paris … and so on. Well done.
Second Place
Adam Zyglis
The Buffalo News
Third Place
Rick McKee
Cagle Cartoons
Newspapers best political coverage
First Place
“Tracking Political Influence in Austin”
Taylor Goldenstein, Megan Kimble, Bayliss Wagner and Matt Zdun
Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News
Judges’ comments: Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News provided detailed portraits of the different ways power gets wielded in the Texas legislature offering an up-close view of how the political sausage really gets made.
Second Place
“Inside Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s Campaign Contributions”
Chicago Tribune staff
Third Place
“Revealing the Intersection of Michigan Business and Politics”
Craig Mauger and Beth LeBlanc
The Detroit News
MAGAZINES
Magazines coverage of a major news event or topic
First place
“Fear on the Farm”
Emma Hinchliffe
Fortune Media
Judge’s comments: “Fear on the Farm” by Emma Hinchliffe intimately and sensitively details the work of Beth Ford, chair of the immigration committee of Business Roundtable, revealing how Trump’s deportation policy has deprived farmers of a cheap labor force causing a rise in U.S. farm bankruptcies. Ford pushes a practical solution, declaring, “Hope is not a strategy.” A fluid narrative draws in the reader and brings home the realities of a politically motivated crisis.
Second place
“The Business of Trump”
Paolo Confino and Leo Schwartz
Fortune Media
Third place
“Erasing the Verdict”
Monte Reel
Bloomberg
Magazine feature writing by an individual
First Place
“A Teen in Love With a Chatbot Killed Himself. Can the Chatbot Be Held Responsible?”
Jesse Barron
The New York Times Magazine
Judges’ comments: We’re told to “judge, not read,” but it was impossible to stop reading this story, written cleanly and compellingly about a tragedy that is unimaginable and increasingly possible in today’s technologically driven world. A mix of difficult truths and empathy. Well done.
Second Place
“Inside the Trump Administration’s Assault on Higher Education”
Emma Green
The New Yorker
Third Place
“Just Doing It”
Devin Gordon
Fortune Media
Magazine specialty news coverage
First place
“Refreezing the Arctic”
Alec Luhn
Scientific American
Judge’s comments: Alec Luhn’s examination of the pros and cons of refreezing seawater to replace a rapidly melting arctic icecap is a bold call to ignore naysayers and attempt a dramatic and achievable solution to global warming.
Second place
“Espionage Enters the Chat”
Amanda Gerut
Fortune Media
Third place
“Long Live the Sex Scene”
Cosmopolitan Staff
Cosmopolitan
Magazine in-depth story or series on a major news event
First place
“The Strange and Totally Real Plan to Blot Out the Sun and Reverse Global Warming”
Karl Mathiesen and Corbin Hiar
POLITICO
Judges’ comments: Authors Karl Mathiesen and Corbin Hiar capture the unsettling ambiguity of a geoengineering plan to release reflective particles into the atmosphere in an attempt to dim sunlight and “throw global warming into reverse.” Once begun, they observe, it could take a century to reverse the darkening of the planet.
Second place
“The New Policy Playbook”
Marilyn Cooper, Mike De Socio and Ken Budd
Liberal Education
Third place
“Visa Power: How China is Buying its Way into America’s Heart”
Didi Kirsten Tatlow
Newsweek
PHOTOGRAPHY AND GRAPHICS FOR DAILY NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINES, NEWS SERVICE AND SYNDICATES
Spot news photography
First Place
“Recoil”
Ashlee Rezin
Chicago Sun-Times
Judges’ comments: ICE agents, dressed in combat gear, pepper spray the face of a protesting church reverend. The scene is steeped in the tension of conflict.
Second Place
“Cape May Shark Attack”
Andrew Mills
NJ Advance Media
Third Place
“Mourning the Fallen”
John Roca
Newsday
Feature photography
First Place
“Ice Cream Day”
Tom Gralish
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Judges’ comments: How cute are little kids basking in the pure joy of devouring an ice cream cone?
Second Place
“Italian Market”
David Maialetti
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Third Place
“Perch Pounce”
Derrick Z. Jackson
Sports action or sports feature photography
First Place
“Physical Game”
Grace Smith
The Indianapolis Star
Judges’ comments: There is basketball action and there is this perfect moment of shear offensive will to score going against a bruising defense with the entire arena as a backdrop.
Second Place
“State Golf Sprinkler Jump”
Grace Smith
The Indianapolis Star
Third Place
“World Series Walk-off”
Keith Birmingham
Southern California News Group
Individual photo portfolio
First Place
Andrew Mills
NJ Advance Media
Judges’ comments: Andrew Mills’ portfolio shows us New Jersey, from the coastline to its cities with powerful, sometimes hard-hitting images. A well-rounded portfolio of great single images.
Second Place
Ashlee Rezin
Chicago Sun-Times
Third Place
“Wildlife Wonder & Wondering & Worrying About It”
Derrick Z. Jackson
Staff photo portfolio
First Place
San Francisco Chronicle
Judges’ comments: This San Francisco Chronicle portfolio brings us personal moments from topics as diverse as politics, natural disaster and sports.
Second Place
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Third Place
Newsday
Single day photo story
First Place and BEST IN SHOW
“ICE Broken Families”
Carol Guzy
Miami Herald
Judges’ comments: Capturing the heartbreak of broken families resulting from the brutal methods of ICE detention made Ms. Guzy’s portfolio stand out from the many entries focusing on ICE action and anti-ICE protests. Her photos showed ICE detention methods, but with each action she showed the loss and heartbreak instilled in the families of the detainees.
Second Place
“Black Rodeo”
David Maialetti
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Third Place
“Chicago Under ICE – October 4, 2025”
Anthony Vazquez Candace Dane Chambers
Chicago Sun-Times
Multiple day photo story
First Place
“Fighting to Survive”
Laurie Skrivan
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Judges’ comments: This was an outstanding category with all three winning portfolios containing compelling images of destruction of both property (from natural disasters and pilot error) and personal lives (from drug addiction). But the most compelling portfolio came from aftermath of a tornado that stuck St. Louis. We see families relegated to living on the street or in their cars for months, because help never arrived and rebuilding never began.
Second Place
“Plane Crash in Philly”
The Philadelphia Inquirer staff
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Third Place
“The Thin Line”
Gabrielle Lurie
San Francisco Chronicle
Portrait
First Place
“West Indian Day Parade”
Alejandra Villa Loarca
Newsday
Judges’ comments: This portrait brought smiles to our faces because it captures the pure joy of celebrating one’s culture.
Second Place
“Senior Powerlifters”
Alejandra Villa Loarca
Newsday
Third Place
“Race Day”
Steve Pfost
Newsday
Pictorial
First Place
“Sailing”
Grace Smith
The Indianapolis Star
Judges’ comments: Pictorial photographs succeed because of their artistry. The winner was a delicate depiction of sailboats and their reflection in the water.
Second Place
“Ben Franklin Bridge sunset”
Monica Herndon
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Third Place
“Steaming Through the Morning”
Andy Morrison
The Detroit News