SPJ/LA Distinguished Journalist Awards nominations now open!

SPJ/LA’s 47th annual Distinguished Journalist Awards is fast approaching.  

This is your chance to celebrate and bring broader recognition to peers and colleagues for excellent work.  

Unlike other journalism prizes that focus only on work completed within the past year, the Distinguished Journalists Awards, created in 1976, honors journalists “who have achieved a record of accomplishments over the course of a number of years.”  

This includes reporters, editors, producers, photographers, anchors and others who make significant contributions to news coverage across broadcast, digital, visual, audio and print journalism. Nominations of freelancers are warmly welcomed. Categories are available to nominate students at both four-year and community colleges who have made substantive journalistic contributions.  

We also give an FOI award to a non-journalist who has helped promote First Amendment issues. Previous winners have worked in the legal profession, academia, government and nonprofit organizations. 

There is no entry fee and you may nominate as many folks as you’d like. You can even nominate yourself!   

The nomination deadline is May 23. Submit your nominations using this form.  

All nominations will be reviewed by the nomination committee and the final selections will go to the full SPJ/LA board. The honorees will be celebrated at the annual SPJ/LA banquet this fall.