Luncheon
Friday, July 24, 2026

Welcome!

Today we celebrate the journalists whose work informs communities, advances understanding and elevates Latino voices across the media landscape.

Education (Presented by the College Board)

Immigrant Students Under Siege | The 74
Trump’s immigration crackdown upends life at Austin elementary school | Austin American-Statesman
“¿UPR para quién?” | Centro de Periodismo Investigativo Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI)

Radio/Online Audio Journalism

287g agreements | The Mountain West News Bureau
Erika Ramos, Mother of Liam Conejo Ramos, shares her story from hiding | Minnesota Public Radio, KNOW 91.1 in Twin Cities
‘It’s my responsibility’: In the wake of ICE raids, youth support their families | GBH-News

Print/Digital Journalism

After ICE detention, Milford teen Marcelo Gomes grapples with public spotlight and threat of deportation | The Boston Globe
Después del Darién: El viaje de salud mental que enfrentan los niños migrantes venezolanos en Estados Unidos | El Tiempo Latino & Chicago Health Magazine
El rescate imposible de los mineros del Pinabete: “Yo no sé por qué estoy vivo. Ahí nadie iba a vivir” | El País

Television/Online Video Journalism

Cosecha Digital | N+ Univision Sacramento
Milford rallies around Marcelo Gomes after ICE detention | The Boston Globe
The Prisoners | CBS News / 60 Minutes

Student Broadcast Journalism

Carving students’ futures: How one artist is making an impact beyond his studio walls | WUFT
The Everglades: A Fight For Survival | Stingtown News (Miami Senior High School)
Una ciudad sobre nuestras raíces: Testimonios indígenas por la lucha de la tierra en Brasil | CaplinNews- FIU

Student Print/Digital Journalism

A Community on Edge: Deportations and Fear in NWA’s Hispanic Population | UARK SJSM, for the “Razorback Reporter.”
Immigration Arrest Shatters Tight-Knit Memphis Family (An American Nightmare) | Institute for Public Service Reporting & WKNO Radio
Puerto Rican centenarian is one of the last WWII veterans — and he’s telling his story | Latino Reporter

Photojournalism

ICE – Broken Families | The Miami Herald
In One Image – No Exit | The New York Times
Trans America: Where Rites of Passage Awaken | Reuters

Podcast Journalism

De aquí también soy | Conecta Arizona
El precio de los elotes | Conecta Arizona
‘The Evergreen’: ‘I don’t want to find out if they’re going to put me in a detention center’ | Oregon Public Broadcasting

Data & Innovation Journalism

A big question looming over future redistricting: Who should count? | Votebeat & The Texas Tribune
Abuse and filth documented at LA tiny home villages. Officials did next to nothing. | LA Public Press & Cal State LA’s UT Community News
The Immigration Dragnet: Revealed by the Numbers | ProPublica

Top Tier: Al Neuharth Award for Investigative Journalism

Deported and Desperate to Be Reunited With Their Children | The New York Times
Salud mental tras los barrotes | Centro de Periodismo Investigativo
The Men Trump Deported to a Salvadoran Prison | ProPublica & partners (The Texas Tribune, Alianza Rebelde Investiga and Cazadores de Fake News1)

Top Tier: Elaine Rivera Civil Rights & Social Justice Award

“Don’t Bite the Hand that Feeds You” Families, Farms, Food | ABC News
The H-2A Visa Trap | ProPublica
Tracing Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s journey — from San Salvador to suburbia and CECOT | USA Today

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your story doesn't end with today's awards. Discover what's next with NAHJ.

What’s Next?

Celebrating excellence in journalism is only part of our mission. Every year, NAHJ creates opportunities that help journalists learn, lead and grow throughout their careers.

Investing in the Future

Elevating Member Voices

HJ Voices is NAHJ’s speaker and expert network connecting members with opportunities for media interviews, panels, trainings and speaking engagements.

Raise your hand, grow your visibility and open doors to new professional opportunities. Click here to sign up today!

Why Membership Matters

Discounted Conference Registration
Reduced Entry Fees for Awards
Professional Development & Training
Fellowships & Leadership Programs
National Network of Journalists
Mentorship & Career Connections

Join the Community

The stories celebrated today demonstrate the power of journalism. NAHJ is proud to support the journalists behind those stories through opportunities that inform, connect and inspire.

Your story doesn't end with today's awards. Discover what's next with NAHJ.

NAHJ’s inaugural Excelencia Awards coincided with the organization’s 40th anniversary. In partnership with the California Chicano News Media Association, the joint event focused on Latina leadership, paying tribute to the rich legacy and profound contributions of Latina leaders past and present.

Celebrating Excellence

NAHJ’s Excelencia Awards honor outstanding contributions made by individuals, corporations, and organizations to support the advancement of Hispanic students, professionals, and educators in journalism. The winners are honored during the Excelencia Awards and NextGen Benefit, a gala event to strengthen community connections and raise money for the next generation of Hispanic journalists.

The Excelencia Awards celebrate press freedom and the power of diverse voices in America’s newsrooms. This annual gala honors the individuals, corporations and organizations investing in the future of journalism, while raising funds for the scholarships, internships, mentorship programs and hands-on training that give the next generation of journalists the tools to tell stories that matter.

Every year, we bring together the people who are opening doors for the next generation. The scholarships awarded turn today’s students into tomorrow’s journalists.