Nominations now being accepted for 49th annual Distinguished Journalist Awards
It’s award time! Nominate a fellow journalist for SPJ/LA’s Distinguished Journalist Awards.
The deadline for nomination submissions is June 30, 2025.
We'll celebrate the honorees at our festive and fun-filled annual banquet this fall. Details coming soon! A list of past honorees, as well as highlights from some recent award ceremonies, are viewable here.
Unlike other journalism awards, that focus only on work completed within the past year, SPJ/LA's Distinguished Journalist Awards, created in 1976, honors journalists “who have achieved a record of accomplishments over the course of a number of years.”
The awards celebrate both professional and student journalists, with an emphasis on ensuring that the group of honorees represents exemplary journalism in all its forms and from news sources of all shapes and sizes across the greater Los Angeles region.
The professional awards honor up to six individuals who distinguish themselves over time through their contributions to journalism, including deep storytelling and a commitment to journalistic principles.
Nominees’ work can come from any news outlet, including but not limited to print/text, broadcast, audio and digital as well as contributions to journalism that have otherwise been overlooked from producers, editors or technicians in the field. Nominations of freelancers are warmly welcomed.
Their contributions to journalism can include hyperlocal reporting focused on a single town or neighborhood, innovative storytelling, impactful accounts that drive change, in-depth investigations and more. Above all, the nominee should have an outstanding body of work amassed over time.
The awards program also honors outstanding college journalism students who have recently completed their final year of two-year and four-year programs.
Non-journalists who have helped further the free flow of information and championed the freedom of the press are recognized with the Freedom of Information award. Previous winners have worked in the legal profession, academia, government and for nonprofit organizations.
This year, we’ve made some changes to the award categories and added a requested donation for nominations submitted by people who are not students or SPJ members. You can read more about these changes here.