The National Press Foundation’s annual journalism awards dinner honored top journalists on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C.
The NPF gala brings together nearly 600 journalists, communications professionals, philanthropists, policymakers and other influencers to celebrate the best in journalism. All proceeds go to support NPF’s mission of “making good journalists better,” especially our flagship journalism training programs, the Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship and the Widening the Pipeline Fellowship for journalists of color.
Thank you to all of our sponsors for supporting journalism education and excellence. Your support for a healthy information ecosystem helps sustain American democracy.
Hear from the inspiring award winners
See photos of winners, sponsors and distinguished guests
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- CNN’s Jake Tapper presents the Sol Taishoff Award to sports broadcasting legend Bob Costas.
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- Scott Pelley poses with his former “60 Minutes” colleague Bill Owens, NPF’s Editor of the Year.
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- Kiplinger Award Winner and NPR CEO Katherine Maher smiles with NPF Chairman of the Board Terence Samuel.
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- Chairman’s Citation winner Lisa Hughes poses with last year’s Chairman winner S. Mitra Kalita of URL Media at the VIP reception.
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- Guests enjoy the signature cocktail, a chocolate espresso martini, sponsored by AARP, at the after party sponsored by Lenovo.
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- Bennett Richardson of the National Association of Realtors takes a selfie with Taishoff Award winner Bob Costas and Business Roundtable’s Meredith McPhillips.
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- DCI Group poses for a photo during the General Reception sponsored by UnitedHealth Group.
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- The Politico table takes a break, honoring Berryman Award winner Matt Wuerker, Center
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- Matt Wuerker of Politico accepts the Berryman Award for Editorial Cartoons.
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- NPF board member and Paul Miller Fellowship alumnus Bill Walsh introduces the AARP Award for coverage on aging.
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- Hinrich Award winner Daniel Murphy speaks with NPF board member Kathy Gest.
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- NPF President poses with sponsor Toyota and guests from U.S. News & World Report at the VIP reception, sponsored by Toyota.
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- Widening the Pipeline Fellows also enjoyed the NPF Awards Dinner After Party.
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- Former NPF President Bob Meyers speaks with Rob Taishoff, descendent of Sol Taishoff.
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- The National Press Foundation awards dinner head table, from left: Rafael Lorente, Knight Kiplinger, Meredith McPhillips, Sudeep Reddy, Anne Godlasky, Bob Costas, Terence Samuel, Katherine Maher, Lisa Hughes, Cheryl W. Thompson and Bennett Richardson.
Click below to see more photos from photographers Lisa Nipp and Hannah Gaber. Photos may be shared but not altered with credit and/or tag of National Press Foundation:
National Press Foundation Awards
More than $53,000 in awards are presented at the annual dinner. Awards showcased at NPF’s 2026 gala include:
- Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism: Bob Costas
- Benjamin C. Bradlee Editor of the Year: Bill Owens, formerly of “60 Minutes”
- W.M. Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award: Katherine Maher, NPR
- Chairman’s Citation: Lisa Hughes, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Clifford K. and James T. Berryman Award for Editorial Cartoons: Matt Wuerker, Politico
- Hinrich Foundation Award for Distinguished Reporting on Trade: Daniel Murphy, Bureau of Investigative Journalism
- The AARP Award for Excellence in Journalism on Aging: Fox 9 Minneapolis and Connecticut Mirror
- Wounded Warrior Project® Award for Excellence in Coverage of Veterans: Patricia Kime for Military.com and Ilie Mitaru for BBC Future
- Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress: Jennifer Shutt, States Newsroom
And new this year, the inaugural U.S. Chamber Award for Excellence in Local Business Reporting, which carries a $10,000 prize, went to David Hudnall of The Kansas City Star.
