Distinguished Journalist Awards 2026
For the 50th time, the SPJ Greater Los Angeles Chapter will honor six people who have served the needs of the community through exceptional journalism or support of the first ammendment in their careers.
The banquet will be Wed., Oct. 7, 2026, at the Castaway in Burbank. There will be no-host cocktails at 6 pm, dinner at 7 pm, and the awards program begins at 8 pm. Attire is generally dressy business. Castaway requires valet parking, which costs $11 per car.
Honorees are nominated by a broad selection of Los Angeles area journalists and selected by the board of directors of the Los Angeles professional chapter of SPJ. This event is special for the camaraderie of the evening. It's a chance for area journalists to get together, swap stories and remember why we do what we do.
This year marking a half century of awards will be especially meaningful and we hope to have many past honorees in attendance.