Excellence in Journalism – Call for Entries

The Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is calling for entries to the annual Excellence in Media awards. We will be presenting awards for outstanding journalism in Michigan across all platforms including publications, broadcast, digital and social media during calendar year 2024.

At the same time, SPJ Detroit is accepting nominations for the Journalist of the Year and Young Journalist of the Year awards. College students are invited to apply for the 2025 Laurain Scholarship program.

The deadline for all journalism entries is Monday, Feb. 17, 2025. The deadline for the Journalist of the Year, the Young Journalist of the Year and Laurain Scholarship nominations is Feb. 28.

Winners in all categories will be honored at our annual awards banquet on Wednesday, May 14, at the San Marino Club, 1685 E. Big Beaver Rd, Troy

Our entry fees are unchanged from 2024. Here is the current fee structure for all entries:

  • SPJ members, $40; non-SPJ members, $60; SPJ student members, $25; non-SPJ student members, $30.
  • Freelancers and small newsrooms (fewer than 10 employees), $30.
  • Journalist of the Year and Young Journalist of the Year nominations require the same entry fees as above.
  • Entrants who qualify for a lower fee level are advised to contact the contest Administrator prior to submitting their entries. SPJ Detroit will pre-set the entrance fee on the entry forms of “known” SPJ members.
  • Media organizations may qualify for the SPJ membership rates if at least one person within the organization is a member of Detroit SPJ.

To qualify for lower fees, individuals or organizations are invited to join SPJ here; please be sure to enroll as a member of the Detroit Chapter. If there are any questions about eligibility, please submit them to SPJDetroit.org

Click below to see the flyer with details, rules and deadlines.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

We will be using the Better BNC contest platform again this year. Please click below for a link to instructions for entering.

BETTER BNC CONTESTANT INSTRUCTIONS