As the U.S. population gets older, the National Press Foundation established this award, sponsored by AARP, in 2023 to recognize excellence in reporting on issues related to aging. The award seeks to encourage journalists to cover the challenges and opportunities for people and society in the face of significant demographic trends.
The award carries two $5,000 prizes, one for work appearing in a large media outlet and one for work appearing in a small or regional outlet (averaging fewer than 15 million monthly visits to its website).
The award is open to U.S.-based journalists working in any media format and platform, from podcasts to television packages to print/digital stories. Entries could range from well-crafted features to investigative journalism to coverage of how individuals and society are adapting to trends related to aging, including but not limited to health, caregiving, financial security, efforts to counter age discrimination and stereotypes associated with aging.
NPF strongly encourages submissions which demonstrate enterprise journalism.
There is a maximum of 2 entries allowed per news organization.
Since its founding in 1958, AARP has advocated for older Americans and provided them with timely and trustworthy information to confront the challenges of aging. Since then, through its publications and digital channels, AARP has become the leading source for Americans seeking information and insights to help them to choose how they live as they age.
The AARP Award for Excellence in Journalism on AgingTM is a trademark of AARP.
The National Press Foundation will give the 2025 AARP Awards for Excellence in Journalism on Aging to FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Connecticut Mirror for the large and small categories, respectively. Both winners this year covered the troubled industry of long-term care insurance.
FOX 9 KMSP’s Nathan O’Neal and Casey Hooker investigated long-term care insurance companies CNA and Transamerica in Minnesota. Jenna Carlesso, Andrew Brown, Dave Altimari and Katy Golvala of the CT Mirror created “Priced-Out,” a series investigating rate increases among the nearly 100,000 long-term care insurance policy holders in Connecticut.
The judges also wish to recognize Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA with an honorable mention for her work investigating elder abuse in Pennsylvania.
The winners for both categories accepted their awards at the 2026 NPF Awards Dinner on March 12 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C.
The Washington Post and KGTV ABC 10News won the National Press Foundation’s 2024 AARP Awards for Excellence in Journalism on Aging for the large and small categories, respectively.
