The Sacramento Press Club is proud to host The Golden State Journalism Awards, the club’s 6th annual journalism contest, honoring the best work centered on state politics and public policy in California. Entries will be accepted beginning January 5, 2026. The deadline to submit all entries is Friday, February 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. (That deadline will not be extended). Finalists will be announced in late April and winners honored at our sixth annual Journalism Awards Reception in May. Sign up for our email distribution list to receive updates on contest deadlines and upcoming events.

All journalists reporting stories in California are eligible to enter the Golden State Journalism Awards, provided their work centers on politics and policy. While we are a Sacramento-based club, we encourage and hope to see entries from journalists throughout the state. Acceptable entries could explore the effects of state policy across California or beyond, on a city or region, or examine a regional issue that’s drawing attention in the Capitol.

We will be accepting entries for work published in 2025. In many categories, entries from multiple journalistic platforms — text, audio and video — will be accepted. Other categories are restricted to one medium. Check the category descriptions below for eligibility rules. Also, contestants may submit the same piece to different categories, or submit different entries to the same category. Work completed in any language can be submitted, provided the entrant provides an English-language translation.

Entries cost $20 for SPC members and $25 for nonmembers. Entrants who submit the same piece in multiple categories will be charged a separate entry fee for each category. If the entry fee poses a financial hardship, please contact SPC about covering the fee at sacpressclub@gmail.com.

The awards will be judged by a panel of retired and out-of-state journalists with experience across a variety of media. To express interest in judging a category of the contest, please contact us at sacpressclub@gmail.com.

This year’s contest includes the following categories:

This award honors the California journalist whose work has had a substantial impact on the state. Sacramento Press Club board members will accept and consider nominations from independent news organizations or a colleague of the journalist. A nomination letter must detail, with links to published work, why the journalist should be recognized. To qualify, a journalist should have published work that reflects the best of our profession: Stories that reveal egregious wrongs committed against powerless populations, that force change in public policy decisions at the state level, or that provide a powerful public service to Californians, including comprehensive coverage during emergencies. This is not a team award, nor will it be given to an institution. It is intended to recognize a singular achievement by a journalist that benefits Californians.

2023 Winner: Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times

This award recognizes a journalist or team of journalists who displayed exceptional courage to bring necessary coverage to the public, whether by standing up to powerful people, covering events such as wildfires that are inherently dangerous, or exposing themselves to personal harm during the coverage of extremists or others who threaten with intent to injure. A nomination letter must detail, with links to published work, why the journalist(s) should be recognized. Sacramento Press Club board members will accept and consider nominations from independent news organizations or a colleague of the journalist.

2023 Winner: Doni Chamberlin, A News Cafe

This category recognizes exceptional journalism that holds powerful institutions and/or people accountable for their actions and, by doing so, leads to demonstrable change that benefits Californians. The submission should include a short cover letter explaining the impact or outcome of the work. Judges will consider overall impact, depth of reporting, and the use of today’s technology to reach the audience. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video. Entries are limited to three stories and, if broadcast, to 30 minutes total.

2023 Winners: Robin Urevich and Gabriel Sandoval – Capital & Main/Pro Publica

California’s elected officials have enormous influence over the lives of the people they represent. This category is for one specific story that either uncovers news that would not become public or explains to readers the context and import of Capitol decisions. This category recognizes journalism that takes a deeper look at the decisions made in the Capitol, the influences behind them, and their effect on the broader public. Judges will be looking for exclusive reporting, a strong writing voice, and how the story changed the public conversation or government decisions. A brief explanation of that impact should accompany the entry. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video.

2023 Winners: Lindsay Holden and Matthew Miranda – The Sacramento Bee

Decisions large and small that affect the lives of the state’s 40 million citizens are made each day in the California Capitol. This category showcases a body of work with consistent daily excellence in beat reporting about the Capitol and/or state government. Entries must include five examples of work that demonstrate sharp and clear writing, an important scoop, coverage of breaking Capitol news or continuing coverage of a particular topic, and an ability to explain to readers why the daily workings of the Capitol matter in their lives. Entries can cover a single topic or different issues. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video.

2023 Winner: Christopher Cadelago – Politico

Newsletters increasingly are news organizations’ most effective way to deliver critical news and analysis on California public policy and politics. Eligible newsletters can offer fresh takes on trends, set up the dynamics of the day’s political action at the Capitol, or go deep on a particular policy area. This category previously focused solely on Capitol newsletters, but is now open to all politics and policy newsletters that meet the criteria. The Newsletter award is judged on consistently high performance – on news value, sharp analysis, and original reporting that at least occasionally breaks news. Eligible newsletters must be published at least once a week for at least half the year. Entrants should submit three to five examples from 2024.

2023 Winners: Dustin Gardiner, Lara Korte, Jeremy B. White – (California Playbook), Politico

This category recognizes exceptional reporting on the politics and public policy surrounding business and labor issues in California. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the beat. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video. Entries are limited to three stories and, if broadcast, to 30 minutes total.

2023 Winners: Michael McGough and Stephen Hobbs – The Sacramento Bee

Retail crime, street gangs, prisons, sentencing policy, and the ongoing debate over regulating guns and drugs like fentanyl were among the criminal justice issues front and center in 2024. This award honors excellence in reporting on criminal justice issues and the politics that influence those debates. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the subject. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video. Entries are limited to three stories and, if broadcast, to 30 minutes total.

2023 Winner: Brian Howey, Los Angeles Times

This category recognizes exceptional coverage of education issues, from pre-K to K-12 and higher education. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the subject. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video. Entries are limited to three stories and, if broadcast, to 30 minutes total.

2023 Winner: Sophia Bollag, San Francisco Chronicle

This category recognizes exceptional reporting about policy, politics, and activism related to water, wildfire, energy, climate change, pollution, endangered species, and other environmental topics. Submissions can be a single outstanding story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the beat. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video. Entries are limited to three stories and, if broadcast, to 30 minutes total.

2023 Winners: Sammy Roth, Robert Gauthier, Maggie Beidelman, Jessica Q. Chen, Jackeline Luna, Sean Greene, Gabrielle LaMarr LeMee, Paul Duginski and Brian Van Der Brug – Los Angeles Times

This category recognizes exceptional reporting that explains the causes and effects of the state’s housing crisis and spotlights those it has left behind. Submissions can be a single outstanding story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the beat. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video. Entries are limited to three stories and, if broadcast, to 30 minutes total.

2023 Winners: Robin Urevich and Gabriel Sandoval – Capital & Main/Pro Publica

Public Health Reporting

 

This category recognizes exceptional reporting on a wide range of public health issues, the government response to those issues, and the politics surrounding them. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the beat. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video. Entries are limited to three stories and, if broadcast, to 30 minutes total.

2023 Winner: Angela Hart, KFF Health News

This category recognizes exceptional reporting about political and policy-driven efforts to combat social injustice and other discrimination across race, class, gender identity, and more. Entries might vary from efforts by lawmakers to stop systemic discrimination and injustice to coverage of activists and community responses. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the subject. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact. Entries may be in any format including text, audio, or video. Entries are limited to three stories and, if broadcast, to 30 minutes total.

2023 Winners: Lindsay Holden and Matthew Miranda – The Sacramento Bee

 

The opinion section provides a public forum to hash out the most (and sometimes the least) important issues facing California. This category recognizes exceptional commentary that changed minds, held the powerful to account, or perhaps simply delighted its audience. Submissions can be up to three opinion pieces in any format, including editorials, columns, cartoons, and videos. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact.

2023 Winner: Emily Hoeven, San Francisco Chronicle

California’s elected officials have enormous influence over the lives of the people they represent. This category recognizes superb still photography that documents such influence or the impact of decisions and politics throughout the state. Entries may include up to three images that are not breaking news but rather pre-planned journalism that provides emotion, insight, or context. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact.

2023 Winner: Reneé C. Byer, The Sacramento Bee

This award honors exceptional photographic coverage of breaking news tied to state policy and politics. Acceptable entries would include coverage of events at the Capitol as well as those beyond Sacramento, including during the 2024 election. Entries should include up to three photographs of images made during spot coverage that had no advance planning. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact.

 2023 Winner: Hector Amezcua, The Sacramento Bee

For excellence in reporting that either uncovers news that would not be public or explains the context and import behind government decisions. This category recognizes journalism that takes a deeper look at the decisions made in the Capitol or elsewhere in state and local government, the influences behind them, and their effect on the public. Enter coverage, reported over time, of a political story or policy topic aired as a series or an in-depth stand-alone investigation or documentary. Entries may include live and/or recorded elements. Submissions may not exceed more than 30 minutes total. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact.

2023 Winner: Julie Watts, CBS13 

For excellence in reporting about the Capitol, state and local government, or the broader impact of government decisions. Entries must be produced, written, and edited within a shift. They may focus on a single subject or a range of topics, each aired as a stand-alone story. Submissions may include up to three short pieces to exceed no more than 10 minutes total. Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact.

2023 Winners: Julie Watts, CBS 13 and Byrhonda Lyons, CalMatters

This award honors excellence in audio storytelling that focuses on California politics and policy issues. Journalists should enter one audio piece that demonstrates command of the format, expert news delivery, compelling writing, and innovative use of sound. Enter one radio story, 30 minutes in length maximum. Please submit link to audio and audio script (including anchor intro). Entries are permitted to include a short summary of the work’s impact.

2023 Winner: Elly Yu, LAIst

CHECK OUT THE FINALISTS!