SPJ San Diego’s 2025 journalism contest winners

Thank you to all who entered our 2025 SPJ San Diego journalism awards.

We are very excited to celebrate with you on June 26 at Novo Brazil Brewing in Mission Valley.

Below is a list of our winners! You can buy tickets here.

Come celebrate excellence in journalism at the 2025 SPJ San Diego Awards Banquet! Join us at Novo Brazil Brewing Mission Valley for a night of recognition and fun. Network with fellow journalists, enjoy delicious food and drinks, and cheer on the winners. Don’t miss out on this exciting in-person event where we honor the best in the industry. Save the date and get ready to toast to outstanding journalism! See you there!

SPJ 2025 winner namesDownload

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Exciting Scholarship Opportunities Await!

Are you a passionate storyteller, a budding photojournalist, or a dedicated multimedia creator? SPJ San Diego is thrilled to announce that we’re offering a remarkable opportunity to elevate your academic journey with our prestigious scholarships for the upcoming year!

Unlock Your Potential

This year, we’re proud to support the vibrant future of journalism by awarding up to five scholarships of $1,500 each 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.

Special Memorial Scholarships

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

  • The Agnes Diggs Memorial Scholarship of $1,450—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.

Mark Your Calendars

The deadline to submit your scholarship application is swiftly approaching! Ensure your chance to be considered by applying before 9 p.m. on Friday, June 13, 2025. This is your moment to shine and make your dreams a reality.

Don’t miss this opportunity to pave your way toward a future brimming with possibilities in the world of journalism. Show us your passion, your dedication, and your vision. We can’t wait to see the incredible stories you’ll tell.

For more details on how to apply, visit our website https://spjsandiego.org/ and start your journey to success today!

Share the News

Please spread the word and let your fellow aspiring journalists know about this fantastic opportunity. Together, let’s inspire and nurture the future of storytelling in our community.

Good luck to all applicants—we’re excited to support your dreams and witness the exceptional work you’ll contribute to the world of journalism!

Here is the link to apply: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-HEZmHSJHTIyZupKU7g3ByogecarSo3A-frjGqOYZgo/viewform?edit_requested=true&pli=1

Here are the rules:

Instructions

To be considered for one of these scholarships, applicants must write an essay of no more than 500 words that explains their career goals, their journalism experience and why they should be chosen for this award. Entrants must also submit at least two — and no more than three — examples of work. To be clear: you must submit 2 to 3 articles to the print category, 2 to 3 photos for the photography category or 2 to 3 works for the multimedia category. Coursework is allowed, but published work is preferred. Attach all articles, video/audio or photos to your entry and don’t forget your essay. Submissions must have been published in 2024 and must be electronic — e.g., URLs, PDFs, JPGs or a digital link.

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Call for New Board Members!

Calling All Passionate Journalists! Join Our Board!

Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and make a difference in the journalism community? We’re on the hunt for enthusiastic candidates to join our chapter’s board, and we want YOU!

Our board dives into some exciting work, including:

  • Advocating for press freedom and championing government transparency
  • Planning and hosting fantastic events, including our much-loved annual awards banquet
  • Inspiring the next generation with student journalism outreach
  • Offering support and resources for job-seekers navigating the media landscape
  • Celebrating the amazing work of local journalists
  • And SO much more!

We meet on the first Tuesday of every month in the evening, where the ideas flow and the camaraderie is unbeatable! If you’re an SPJ member ready to take your passion for journalism to the next level, we’d love to have you on board!

To throw your hat in the ring, send us your candidacy statement—feel free to share your story and what drives your passion for journalism! (200-word limit) by 5 p.m. on May 31st to spjsandiego@gmail.com.

Get excited! Election results will be revealed at the end of June. Need to renew your SPJ membership? Check here for the details!

Let’s work together to make a lasting impact on our media community!

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The San Diego and Tijuana Area Contest Is Open!

It’s time!!!

The San Diego Area Journalism Contest is now open!

The contest recognizes outstanding work by San Diego and Tijuana area students and professional journalists who published or broadcast during the 2024 calendar year.

The contest officially opens on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025.

Early Bird Contest entries will be accepted until Monday, March 3, at 9 p.m. PST. Entry fees are per entry, regardless of the number of journalists on the entry. SPJ San Diego Pro Chapter members pay $15 per entry, non-members pay $35 per entry, and students pay $5 until March 3.

Between March 4 and the final deadline of Monday, March 10, at 9 p.m. PST, professionals pay an additional $15 per entry, and students pay an additional $5 per entry, making them $30 for SPJ members, $50 for nonmembers and $10 for students. (NOTE: Top awards have a different entry fee amount.)

This year, we’ve added a new division: Spanish Media. Spanish entries in select print (daily, non-daily and online combined) and video categories will be judged only against other Spanish language entries. They are not to be entered in any other divisions.

This year’s Distinguished Coverage Award topic is “infrastructure challenges in the face of climate change.” This topic may have been completed by a single reporter or a reporting team at the outlet. The topic can include but isn’t limited to — the environmental impacts on San Diego, such as the January 2024 floods, coastal erosion, wildfires, etc. Each outlet should submit its best stories, series or show(s). Entries are limited to no more than five components (i.e. stories, segments). Entries must also include an essay of no more than 500 words on why the coverage merits recognition. Open to all outlets. Entry fee is $55. Outlets may make multiple entries if they are by different teams/reporters.

Submit your entries using the BetterBNC Media Awards platform. To register or enter the contest, open a new browser window or tab to http://www.betterbnc.com. Keep this window open to refer to as you submit your awards.

If you have entered awards in BetterBNC before — either for the SD-SPJ contest or for the SD Press Club Awards — you should already be in the system. You just need to select the 2025 SPJ Awards contest.

All contest entries must be submitted online via BetterBNC and must be entered by or on behalf of the individual(s) who produced the work and must identify each individual involved in producing the work.

Students: This year’s scholarship contest will be run separately from the San Diego and Tijuana area competition. Please stay tuned for additional information to be posted later.

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

Good luck!

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