You now have a little more time to submit entries in SPJ’s Top of the Rockies contest honoring excellence in journalism in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

The deadline is now 10 p.m. MT on Wednesday, Jan. 28 – two days later than before.

Top of the Rockies, administered by the SPJ Colorado Pro Chapter, is a regional, multi-platform contest for professional reporters and news organizations across the four-state region. The contest has more than 50 categories, and media outlets compete based on their newsroom size. The awards are for work in 2025.

The awards will be announced and presented Saturday, April 25, 2026, at a reception at The Slate Hotel in Denver. Reception details to come.

Click here for contest rules, categories, and how to enter.

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Meanwhile, SPJ Colorado Pro is also accepting nominations for our annual individual awards for Colorado residents: Journalist of the Year (for work in 2025), Keeper of the Flame (career achievement), Educator of the Year and the First Amendment Award. Entry deadline: 10 p.m. MT on Monday, March 2. The award recipients will be determined by the chapter board. Click here for details.

And click here to learn how to enter other regional and national SPJ award programs, including the Mark of Excellence Awards for students, the national Sigma Delta Chi awards and more.

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