Each year, the Society of Professional Journalists Colorado Professional Chapter honors outstanding Colorado journalists and allies who exemplify the highest standards of professional excellence with individual awards. These are the chapter’s highest honors.

Awards are voted upon by the chapter’s board. Board members are eligible for awards but do not participate in award votes in their category. Awards usually are presented in conjunction with the annual four-state SPJ Top of the Rockies Awards presentation event.

In recent years, one or more honorees have been recognized in each of four categories:

• Keeper of the Flame: A career achievement award recognizing longtime journalists, their contributions to the profession and their role in leading and mentoring young journalists. The honorees have displayed extraordinary dedication to ethical, responsible journalism and professional integrity.
• Journalist of the Year: Honoring journalists who stood out among their peers in producing extraordinary work in the preceding calendar year. They embody the SPJ Code of Ethics to seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable and transparent. 
• First Amendment Award: Recognizing journalists and allies who embody and support the exercise of a free and fair press, speak truth to power, and go above and beyond to hold governments accountable.
• Educator of the Year: Recognizing the outstanding work of educators at a Colorado school or college as well as journalists who play a significant role in training and mentoring the news professionals of tomorrow.

Here are recent recipients of SPJ Colorado Pro’s individual awards. The present and past Colorado news outlet affiliations listed below were current at the time the awards were presented.

(HELP US FILL IN THE BLANKS: This page is a work in progress. In some cases, chapter records are incomplete as to past winners. If you know of a previous honoree who is missing from the roster below, please email their name, award title and year of the award to spjcolorado@gmail.com with “individual awards” in the subject line.)

2025 HONOREES

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Michelle P. Fulcher (Colorado Public Radio, University of Colorado Boulder, The Denver Post, Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Sam Tabachnik (The Denver Post)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Rachael Johnson (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Doug Bell (SPJ Colorado Pro education chair, Metropolitan State University of Denver)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Derigan A. Silver (University of Denver)

Click here for more on the honorees.

2024 HONOREES

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Gail Binkly (Four Corners Free Press)

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Deb Hurley Brobst (Colorado Community Media, Metropolitan State College of Denver)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Fred Brown (The Denver Post, University of Denver, national SPJ)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Sandra Fish (The Colorado Sun, University of Colorado, Boulder Daily Camera, freelance)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Justin Wingerter (BusinessDen, The Denver Post)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Kareem El Damanhoury (University of Denver)

Click here for more on the honorees.

2023 HONOREES

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Marianne Goodland (Colorado Politics, Colorado Independent, Silver & Gold Record)

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Linda Kotsaftis (Rocky Mountain PBS, KUSA-9News, KWGN-Channel 2)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Carol McKinley (The Denver Gazette, The Colorado Sun, ABC)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Mark Silverstein (ACLU Colorado)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Corey Hutchins (Colorado College)

Click here for more on the honorees.

2022 HONOREES

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Betsy Marston (Writers on the Range, High Country News)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Larry Ryckman (The Colorado Sun, The Denver Post, Colorado Springs Gazette, Greeley Tribune)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Ben Markus (Colorado Public Radio)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: John Hopper (Granada High School)

2021 HONOREES

KEEPERS OF THE FLAME: Erin McIntyre and Mike Wiggins (Ouray County Plaindealer)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Ed Sealover (Denver Business Journal, Rocky Mountain News, Colorado Springs Gazette)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: David Migoya (The Denver Gazette, The Denver Post)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Steven Zansberg (media lawyer, Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Lee Anne Peck (Colorado State University, University of Northern Colorado)

Click here for more on the honorees.

2020 HONOREES 

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Merle Baranczyk (Arkansas Valley Publishing Co.)

JOURNALISTS OF THE YEAR: Kevin J. Beaty, Jenny Brundin, John Daley, Ashley Dean, Hart Van Denburg, Avery Lill and Kate Schimel (Colorado Public Radio)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Niki Turner (Rio Blanco Herald Times,  Rangely)

 FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Susan Greene (Colorado Independent, The Denver Post)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Rob Reuteman (Colorado State University, Rocky Mountain News)

Click here for more on the honorees.

2019 HONOREES

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Kevin Kaufman (Boulder Daily Camera)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Honoree’s name missing.

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Margaret Kwoka, Bridget DuPey, Christopher McMichael (University of Denver Sturm College of Law)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Honoree’s name missing.

Click here for more on Kevin Kaufman.

2018 HONOREES 

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Neil Westergaard (Denver Business Journal, The Denver Post, Colorado Springs Sun)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Bente Birkeland (KUNC)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Susan Greene (Colorado Independent, The Denver Post)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Jamey Trotter (Arapahoe Community College)

Click here for more on the honorees.

2017 HONOREES

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Doug Bell (Evergreen Newspapers, Coloradoan, Rocky Mountain News, Daily Camera, The Denver Post, Metropolitan State University of Denver)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Sadie Gurman (The Associated Press)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Nick Coltrain (Coloradoan)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Shaun Schafer (Metropolitan State University of Denver)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Kristi Strother (Community College of Denver)

Click here for more on the honorees.

2016 HONOREES

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Laura Frank (iNews Rocky Mountain PBS, Rocky Mountain News)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Jordan Steffen (The Denver Post)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Jeff Roberts (Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, The Denver Post)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Kris Kodrich (Colorado State University-Fort Collins)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Richard Joyce (Colorado State University-Pueblo)

Click here for more on the honorees.

2015 HONOREES

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Adele Arakawa (KUSA-9News)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Jennifer Brown (The Denver Post)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Marcia Martinek (Leadville Herald Democrat)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Kenn Bisio (Metropolitan State University of Denver)

Click here for more on the honorees.

2014 HONOREES

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Patty Calhoun (Westword)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR:  Dave Philipps (Colorado Springs Gazette)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Staff, KMGH-TV-Channel 7

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Eric Sandstrom (Colorado Mesa University)

Click here for more on the honorees.

PREVIOUS HONOREES

Chapter records are incomplete prior to 2014, but these are previous individual award winners. If you know of others, please email their name, award title and year of the award to spjcolorado@gmail.com with “individual awards” in the subject line.)

2011

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Pamela White (Boulder Weekly)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: No award.

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Staff, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle

EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR: Jack Kennedy Mountain Vista High School, Colorado High School Press Association

2010

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Howard Pankratz (Denver Post)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: John Hazlehurst (Colorado Springs Business Journal, Colorado Springs Independent)

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Pueblo Chieftain, Coloradoan and the Colorado Independent (media organizations that sued to challenge the secrecy surrounding the selection of a new CSU system president)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Gloria Johnson (Swingvote Magazine)

2008

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Doug Bell (Evergreen Newspapers, Coloradoan, Rocky Mountain News, Daily Camera, The Denver Post, Metropolitan State University of Denver)

EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: Deb Hurley Brobst (Metropolitan State University of Denver)

2007

KEEPER OF THE FLAME: Brad Bradberry (Evergreen Newspapers)

JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR: Neil Westergaard (The Denver Post)

2002

FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD: Ken Amundson (BizWest, Loveland Reporter-Herald)