July 24, 2026 — The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Ñ Awards, which honor excellence in categories ranging from investigative journalism and television/video to education reporting and student journalism.
This year’s winners and finalists were recognized at the Ñ Awards Luncheon during the NAHJ Conference & Expo in New Orleans, a city that holds special significance as the birthplace of Spanish-language journalism in the United States. The 2026 conference theme, “The Beat Goes On: Honoring Our Roots and the Future of Hispanic Journalism,” reflects that legacy and the work being celebrated this year.
“I’m moved by the depth and courage of the work we’re honoring this year,” said NAHJ President Dunia Elvir. “So many of these stories would never have been told with such care and accuracy without the lived experience our members bring to their communities.”
NAHJ presented Ñ Awards in nine categories this year and prestigious named awards in two others, including the NAHJ Elaine Rivera Civil Rights & Social Justice Award and the Al Neuharth Award for Investigative Journalism.
New this year, NAHJ introduced the Data & Innovation Journalism category, recognizing work that uses creative approaches, technology and audience engagement to deepen understanding of issues impacting Latino communities.
Ñ Award Winners
Photojournalism “ICE – Broken Families”, The Miami Herald Carol Guzy, with Carl Juste and Luis Rios, documented the toll of ICE enforcement on families.
Print/Digital Journalism “El rescate imposible de los mineros del Pinabete: ‘Yo no sé por qué estoy vivo. Ahí nadie iba a vivir'”, El País Alejandro Santos Cid reported on the failed rescue effort for miners trapped at Pinabete and the sole survivor’s account of the disaster.
Radio/Online Audio Journalism “‘It’s my responsibility’: In the wake of ICE raids, youth support their families”, GBH News Sarah Betancourt reported on young people stepping into caregiving and breadwinning roles after ICE raids affected their families.
Television/Online Video Journalism “Milford rallies around Marcelo Gomes after ICE detention”, The Boston Globe Randy Vazquez, with Anush Elbakyan, Julianne Varacchi, Jenna Perlman and Jackeline Luna, covered a Massachusetts community’s response to a neighbor’s detention.
Data & Innovation Journalism “The Immigration Dragnet: Revealed by the Numbers”, ProPublica Nicole Foy, with McKenzie Funk and Sarahbeth Maney, used data analysis to reveal the scale of U.S. citizens detained by immigration agents. Related coverage: “We’ll Smash the Fucking Window Out and Drag Him Out” and the joint congressional investigation that followed.
Podcast Journalism “The Evergreen”: “I don’t want to find out if they’re going to put me in a detention center,” Oregon Public Broadcasting Mia Estrada, with Alejandro Figueroa, reported on the fear of detention shaping daily life for Oregon residents.
Student TV/Broadcast Journalism “The Everglades: A Fight For Survival,” Stingtown News (Miami Senior High School) Miguel Amaya, with Miguel Chourio, Guillermo Quinteros, Alvaro Ramirez, Jose Reyes Acosta and Alessandro De Palma, reported on threats facing the Everglades ecosystem.
Student Print/Digital Journalism “Puerto Rican centenarian is one of the last WWII veterans — and he’s telling his story”, Latino Reporter Wesley J. Pérez Vidal, with Nicole Acevedo, told the story of a Puerto Rican WWII veteran preserving his history for future generations.
Education “Immigrant Students Under Siege”, The 74 Jo Napolitano reported on how fear of ICE enforcement is disrupting immigrant students’ access to school, including enrollment delays and districts going underground to protect undocumented students.
Top Tier Awards
Al Neuharth Award for Investigative Journalism “The Men Trump Deported to a Salvadoran Prison”, ProPublica & partners (The Texas Tribune, Alianza Rebelde Investiga and Cazadores de Fake News) Perla Trevizo, with Mica Rosenberg and Melissa Sanchez, investigated the deportation of Venezuelan men to CECOT prison in El Salvador. Related coverage: criminal-conviction claims examined and interviews with the men held there.
Elaine Rivera Civil Rights & Social Justice Award “Tracing Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s journey, from San Salvador to suburbia and CECOT”, USA TODAY Eduardo Cuevas, with Michael Collins, Rebecca Morin, Will Carless and Nick Penzenstadler, traced one man’s wrongful deportation and its political fallout, including the response from Sen. Van Hollen and what his past reveals about the broader immigration debate.
About NAHJ: The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States, dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. Established in April 1984, NAHJ works to increase the number of Latinos in newsrooms and to promote fair, accurate and inclusive coverage of Latino communities. Learn more at nahj.org.
Press contact: communications@nahj.org