SIGMA DELTA CHI, MARK OF EXCELLENCE: SPJ’s national awards programs for pro and student journalists are now open for entries

/ Colorado SPJ

The Society of Professional Journalists’ national awards programs for excellence in professional and student journalism are now open for entries.

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards for pros and the Mark of Excellence Awards for students are open as of Nov. 10, 2026. Both contests are currently offering reduced early-bird entry fees, and both offer a discount for SPJ members. (Learn how to become a member here and add a SPJ Colorado Pro chapter membership for free.) Both contests recognize work during calendar year 2026.

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards date back to 1932. They recognize the best in professional journalism in categories covering print/online, audio, television, and more. The contest is open to any work published or broadcast by a U.S. or international media outlet in 2026. Freelance work is eligible.

Click here for more on the Sigma Delta Chi Awards, including rules, categories, an online entry form, and past winners.

The Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best in student journalism. MOE categories are first judged on the regional level, including Region 9 (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico). First-place regional winners advance to the national competition.

This year, the national winner of the MOE award for cultural criticism will receive $1,000 through a sponsorship from the Foundation of the American Theatre Critics Association. The award has been renamed the American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association Cultural Criticism Award.

Click here for more on the Mark of Excellence Awards, including rules, categories, an online entry form, and past winners.

More SPJ award news:

  • SPJ’s Top of the Rockies Awards, our Region 9 contest for excellence in professional journalism in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico, will open for entries Dec. 9, 2026. This year, the contest features new categories for TV and radio journalism, visual journalism, and government reporting. Click here for more details and categories.
  • SPJ’s Stillwater Awards, recognizing excellence in prison journalism, are now open for 2026 entries. Details here.
  • SPJ’s New America Award, honoring public service journalism that explores and exposes issues of importance to immigrant or ethnic communities in the United States, will open for entries Nov. 30, 2026. Details here.

Discover more from Society of Professional Journalists | Colorado Pro Chapter

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply