Thank you to all who entered our 2026 SPJ San Diego journalism awards competition! We are very excited to celebrate with you on June 25 at Riverwalk Golf Club. Network with fellow journalists, enjoy delicious food and drinks and cheer on the winners.

Save the date and get ready to toast to outstanding journalism! More details on tickets to come!

Drum roll please…

Below is a list of our winners! Congratulations!

Attention all student journalists, storytellers and multimedia creators! SPJ San Diego is thrilled to announce that we’re offering an epic opportunity for you to elevate your academic journey with our prestigious scholarships!

This year, we’re excited to award multiple scholarships to outstanding local college students. Whether your expertise shines in print, photojournalism or video/audio/multimedia, these scholarships are designed to encourage and empower the next generation of media movers and shakers.

Scholarships overview:

• Up to six $1,575 San Diego Area Journalism Awards Merit Scholarships for San Diego County college students
  • Categories: print, photojournalism, video/audio/multimedia
• Agnes Diggs Road to College Scholarship: $1,520
• Bradley J. Fikes Scholarship: $1,000
• All scholarships recognize outstanding student journalists while honoring some of San Diego’s top reporters.
• Non-county students must submit their ties to San Diego County in order to qualify.
• See the PDF document below for the application requirements.

Special Memorial Scholarships:

In homage to the legacies of two remarkable journalists, we’re honored to offer two memorial scholarships:

• The Agnes Diggs Road to College Scholarship of $1,520—celebrating the profound impact of the late North County Times columnist.
• The Bradley J. Fikes Scholarship of $1,000—in memory of the esteemed San Diego Union-Tribune reporter, whose dedication to the craft continues to inspire.

The deadline to submit your scholarship application is swiftly approaching! Ensure your chance to be considered by applying before 9 p.m. on Monday, May 25, 2026.

To submit your application please fill out this Google Form for the 2026 Journalism Scholarships. See the PDF document below for the application requirements.

Good luck to all applicants!

We need judges!! 

Ever wonder how the SPJ contest runs and what happens after you submit your entries? Our entries in San Diego actually go to judges in other parts of the country while we get entries from our judging partners in other cities. This year, we need your help judging the entries from our judging partners in other cities. 

Sign up to help us judge and get $10 off your 2026 awards ceremony ticket. Contact Elizabeth by March 18 at spjsandiego@gmail.com. 

It’s not too late to submit award entries! The final deadline has been extended to March 16 at 9 p.m. PST.

Submit your entries using the BetterBNC Media Awards platform. 

Below are directions for preparing and submitting entries. If you have questions, please contact sdspjcontest@gmail.com