2026 Awards Winners

Below are the winners of the 2026 Deadline Club awards competition. Winners were announced on Thursday, May 14 at the Harvard Club of NYC.

To view the full list of finalists, click here.

If you are a winner of a Deadline Club award and would like to request an additional Rube statuette, fill out the form linked here.

Contact awards@deadlineclub.org with any questions.

NEWSPAPER OR DIGITAL BEAT REPORTING

• The Trace “The Secret Files of the Gun Industry” series Mike Spies

Mike Spies' investigation stood out for its combination of poignant storytelling and exhaustive, hard-nosed reporting that surfaced key documents and materials across more than a decade. Spies showed how the gun industry actively cultivated ‘a citizen protector’ culture of gun ownership. In another piece, he revealed how a long-running partnership between a firearm industry group and a suicide nonprofit gave priority to gun industry messaging while failing to come close to its aims of reducing suicides by 20%. And Spies obtained an internal trade group study that showed how large capacity magazines, a tool often used in mass shootings, had flooded the market.

NEWSPAPER OR DIGITAL FEATURE REPORTING​

• The New York Times “The Firefighter with O.C.D. And the Vaccine He Believed Would Kill Him” Joseph Goldstein

Goldstein’s riveting saga of a New York City firefighter’s battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder that consumes his every waking hour and his attempts to balance the toll of the disease with his love for his family and his cherished career is deeply deserving of this year’s award for feature writing.

NEWSPAPER OR DIGITAL BREAKING NEWS REPORTING​

• Bloomberg News “New York’s Evening of Fear” Bloomberg Staff

Bloomberg's team coverage of the most chaotic of breaking-news stories, a mass shooting in Midtown Manhattan, left no stone unturned. From its scene-setting lead, to reporting police sources' explanation of the shooter's possible motive, the story quickly captured every detail of the tragedy, whose four victims included an NYPD officer.

NEWSPAPER OR DIGITAL ENTERPRISE REPORTING​

• The Associated Press “Aging Africa” Matt Sedensky

An eye-opening account told through vivid imagery and words of a continent's struggle to deal with an unexpected dilemma: an aging population. How the continent handles this moment is a lesson in what other continents need to think about to handle the rapid increase in life expectancy rates.

NEWSPAPER OR DIGITAL LOCAL NEWS REPORTING​

• Chalkbeat “Dreams Detained” Michael Elsen-Rooney

This won for the quality, care, and depth of reporting. Elsen-Rooney had been embedded with the school for months, which gave him the rapport and trust to report the story sensitively with maximum emotional impact. His work also led then-Mayor Eric Adams and another to lobby for the boy at the heart of the story.

REPORTING BY NEWSPAPERS WITH A CIRCULATION UNDER 100,000​

• The Highlands Current “High Anxiety” Joey Asher

The advent of the internet and mobile computers has led to a fast life with high anxiety — a topic that is important to many, but rarely discussed. This piece goes deep, perfectly framing lived experiences to show how the digital age affects different communities, with added sidebars and resources aimed at each.

REPORTING BY INDEPENDENT DIGITAL MEDIA​

• The Hechinger Report “How Trump Transformed Federal Enforcement of Students’ Civil Rights” Meredith Kolodner, Sarah Butrymowicz, Neal Morton

Most journalism investigations tackle either national or local issues. This project by The Hechinger Report savvily combines the two, showing how local officials worked separately but in unison with the Trump administration to eviscerate civil rights protections for vulnerable children.

MAGAZINE PERSONAL SERVICE

• Bustle “The Vanity Project” Rachel Baker, Nolan Feeney, Maggie Bullock, Chloe Joe, Allison P. Davis

Everything you wanted to know about the latest cosmetic surgeries and procedures is in this in-depth, 17-article series. Well-researched and well-presented, the stories provide practical information but also weigh moral and societal considerations. Catchy graphics and lay-outs keep it fun and accessible (love the "before and after" photos you can toggle between in the "Plastic Surgeon Summit" and “Millenial Glow Up”).

MAGAZINE PROFILE

• TIME “The Making of an American Pope” Belinda Luscombe

The most complete piece. It balances intimate detail with global scale and stays controlled throughout. It makes a massive role feel human.

MAGAZINE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

• The New York Times Magazine “Can Anyone Rescue the Trafficked Girls of L.A.’s Figueroa Street?” Emily Baumgaertner Nunn

Emily Baumgaertner Nunn's compelling investigation into child sex trafficking was extensive, involving in-depth, on- the-ground reporting, including embedding with a vice unit 16 T on undercover operations, and years spent building relationships with sources. The descriptive, subject-oriented approach used to convey victims’ horrific experiences, and the challenges faced by potential helpers, had a powerful effect. The story generated policy changes and increased support for anti-trafficking organizations.

MAGAZINE FEATURE REPORTING

• Wired Magazine “The School Shootings Were Fake. The Terror Was Real” Dhruv Mehrotra, Andy Greenberg

We were captivated by this feature about school shooting hoaxes and a private investigator's efforts to track down the culprit. The writers created multiple points of entry for readers that were unexpected and compelling and used storytelling devices such as suspense and character development to highlight an epidemic within the hacking world that preys on communities' fears of school shootings and the hidden world of the dark web. Overall, an engaging, informative and powerful piece of journalism.

ARTS REPORTING

• The Wall Street Journal “Kelly Crow’s Business of Art” Kelly Crow

Kelly Crow covers a wide variety of fascinating subjects in her Business of Art series for the WSJ. From the audacious jewelry heist at the Louvre to the fire suppression system that saved a priceless art collection in Los Angeles, her reporting in 2025 included headlines and scoops, including a long-hidden secret about a German painter’s sister!

BUSINESS FEATURE

• Bloomberg Businessweek “The Mysterious Billionaire Behind the World’s Most Popular Vapes” Timothy McLaughlin

This piece profiles Zhang Shengwei, a shadowy figure who rose from humble beginnings as an online retailer to become a prominent vape manufacturer. By expertly weaving historical and political context, internal documents, and extensive interviews, this piece provides a compelling, deeply reported account of how one vape producer has managed to sidestep regulations and become a dominant force in the global e-cigarette market.

BUSINESS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

• Bloomberg Businessweek “The Risky Movement to Make America Nuclear Again” Michael Riley

Nuclear Armageddon is one of the most important dangers facing life on Earth, so this is a truly important story. It was incredibly well-reported, with a gripping narrative. Crucial to highlight; how hubris could kill so many people if left unfettered, and it’s mind-boggling to learn how easily the proponents curried favor with this administration.

OPINION WRITING

• Guardian US Columns “A Presidency For Sale” Mohamad Bazzi

Bazzi succinctly documents how in the Trump era, the art of statecraft has blurred with the art of the deal. Fusing sharp opinion with rigorous reporting, he links global and domestic 22 T affairs, politics and business, law and ethics—helping readers see the big picture and letting the facts speak for themselves.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, MEDICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING

• Documented “Nothing to Go Back to: How Climate Change Is Driving Migrants From Their Homes to NYC” Jazzmin Jiwa, Carla Mandiola, Malick Gai

In a year-long investigation including FOIA digging, reporters Jazzmin Jiwa, Carla Mandiola, and Malick Gai of Documented and Columbia Journalism Investigations, analyzed nearly nine million border patrol records from 2010 to 2024 to uncover the origin cities of migrants crossing at the U.S. southern border. The team’s painstaking analysis linked high migration from two dozen countries to recent climate catastrophes — challenging the administration’s claims of a criminal migrant invasion. Dozens of interviews revealed how hurricanes, floods, and droughts caused devastation driving citizens of Guatemala, Bangladesh, and Senegal to New York City. They came believing they’d be granted asylum, but there is no category for climate disaster refugees, leaving them in immigration limbo.

SPORTS REPORTING

• Rolling Stone “The Predator in the Church Basement” Luke Cyphers

This is a well-researched, well-written story that is relevant today and resonates with readers because of its topic and delivery. It has the details and background that breathe life into the hidden history of the story and is told in an informative, narrative style that keeps readers engaged. By exploring the nexus of societal and sports issues, it brings attention to the connection between money, power and influence in the overlapping circles that affect athletes.

BREAKING NEWS PHOTO

• The New York Times “A Year of Suffering in Gaza” Saher Alghorra [Link]

Photojournalist Saher Alghorra's series brought the human toll of this war to life, and made a lasting impression on the judges. Alghorra's photographs have the ability to open the eyes of the world to what really is happening on the ground in Gaza. The blood. The absolute destruction. The people. He captured it all.

FEATURE PHOTO

• The Associated Press “Cooking In The Rubble” Jehad Alshrafi [Link]

Intrepid AP photographer Jehad Alshrafi portrays young Palestinian Ali Marouf and his mother, Aisha, on a Jibalya, Gaza, rooftop in a beautiful photo of horrific devastation—technically superb in its balance, proportion, 27 T composition and tonal/color contrast. It is a striking visual metaphor, with sunset suggesting the fading of hope amid disaster, in stark contrast to the boy stoking the oven’s flame, ignited by the tenacity of the human spirit to survive.

SPORTS PHOTO

• The Associated Press “Run Scored” Godofredo A. Vasquez [Link]

In sports, it’s all about the deciding moment of the game and great sports photography is all about capturing the action, reaction, faces and context of that moment. The detail and framing in this photo make it a vivid visual image that immediately draws the viewer in. It brings viewers to the achievement and emotion of the winning play that leaves a lasting impression on anyone taking a look.

MULTIMEDIA, INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS AND ANIMATION​

• The New York Times “Swept Away” The New York Times Staff

In a crowded field of applicants, ‘Swept Away’ was the clear choice for the judges. An impressive piece of journalism that brought what happened at Camp Mystic into greater focus. The combination of compelling interviews, cutting-edge technology, videos and photos created the definitive tool for understanding what took place on the banks of the Guadalupe River that July night.

DIGITAL INNOVATION

• NBC News “The Vaccine Divide” NBC News Staff

This entry wins for its ambitious, rigorous and impactful synthesis of nationwide vaccination data in collaboration with Stanford University School of Public Health. The project masterfully combines rigorous data analysis with in-depth storytelling to illuminate the impact of declining vaccination rates, offering a granular view of public health challenges.

RADIO OR AUDIO BREAKING NEWS REPORTING​

• Bloomberg “The US Attacks Iran Nuclear Site” Bloomberg Radio Staff

This was as “comprehensive-as-possible” a look at a complicated story from multiple angles -- military, political, diplomatic and economic -- as it unfolded in real time.

RADIO OR AUDIO FEATURE REPORTING​

• WNYC – New York Public Radio “The Peanut effect: How one dead squirrel upended New York wildlife enforcement” Jon Campbell

An entertaining, informative and wild ride through the mostly unseen world of wildlife exhibition and environmental enforcement, and how the national political divide shows up in the unlikeliest places.

RADIO OR AUDIO INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

• Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope, iHeart Media “Levittown: How Deepfake Porn Moved Faster Than the Speed of Law” Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope, iHeart Media Staff

An absorbing and maddening examination of how deepfake porn upended the lives of girls and evaded the authorities in a classic American suburb.

DIGITAL VIDEO REPORTING

• NBC News “Hidden Invasion: Inside Rwanda’s Covert War in Eastern Congo” NBC News Staff

This team dug deep into one of the world's most ignored conflicts - counting fresh graves via satellite, tracking social media death notices from families forbidden from mourning their sons, and obtaining leaked military documents proving soldiers were ordered to disguise themselves as rebels, all to expose the extent of Rwanda's shadow war in eastern Congo. This is the kind of story that only exists because someone decided it wasn't too remote or too complicated to matter.

LOCAL TELEVISION BREAKING NEWS REPORTING​

• News 12 The Bronx “Mitchel Houses Collapse Mayhem” Shane Moreland, Melissa De Jesus

Acting quickly on calls from the public, News 12 dispatched a reporting team to a partial building collapse at a Bronx housing project that cut off heat and hot water and left many residents homeless. The News 12 story could be the template for breaking news coverage.

LOCAL TELEVISION FEATURE

• WCBS-TV “The Tale of Two Marijuana Markets” Jennifer Bisram, Phil Karstetter, Carlos Vasquez, Sarah Burke

This piece stood out for its strong enterprise reporting and clear public interest value. The story tackled a timely and highly relevant issue in New York City, examining the complexities of the legal and illegal marijuana markets with nuance and balance. The reporting was comprehensive, incorporating multiple perspectives and demonstrating a clear effort to contextualize the issue beyond surface-level coverage.

LOCAL TV SERIES OR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING​

• Spectrum News NY1 “Inside 26 Federal Plaza” Noorulain Khawaja, Spectrum News NY1 Team 

This piece highlights the struggles immigration rights groups face and provides an unvarnished look at the chaos in the hallways of 26 Federal Plaza.

NATIONAL TV BREAKING NEWS REPORTING

• CBS NEWS “Famine in Sudan” Debora Patta, Sarah Carter, Meshack Dube, Nicky Parkin, Javier Guzman 

Courageous and deeply impactful reporting. Against extraordinary barriers, Debora Patta delivers rare, on-the- ground insight into one of the world’s most underreported humanitarian crises. Blending powerful visuals with deeply human storytelling, the reporting captures both the devastating scale of the famine and the resilience of those affected.

NATIONAL TV FEATURE

• Scripps News “Roman in Red and Black” Jason Bellini, Linda Pattillo, Dmytro Horyevoy, Steve Turnham, Matt Simon

This intimate, raw portrait of Ukrainian sharpshooter Roman tracks him over several years, capturing his fearlessness on the front lines and his remarkable resilience—before revealing the physical and mental consequences of battle that nearly break him, as he begins to find his way back. Through skillful reporting and impeccable production, Jason Bellini and his team deliver a deeply human, profoundly resonant piece that underscores the enduring cost to those who fight and survive war.

NATIONAL TV SERIES OR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

• NBC News NOW “How Shaken Baby Syndrome convictions tear families apart” Dan Slepian, Vruti Venkatesan, Kevin Portilla, Alana Miller, Jill Billante

NBC News reveals the legal system failing to keep pace with science. Highlighting apparently wrongful murder convictions of parents based upon faulty and outdated medical opinions, NBC’s outstanding reporting should make 46 T prosecutors more circumspect in pursuing shaken baby syndrome cases and hopefully be a catalyst for making case law more consistent with scientific understanding.

THE MOSAIC AWARD

• The Associated Press “Aging Africa” Matt Sedensky

This eye-opening account was hard to look away from, thanks to Matt Sedensky's deep reporting and stunning photographs by David Goldman. Their compassionate and riveting story-telling make "Aging Africa" the quintessential Mosaic Award piece that shines a much-needed light on underserved communities

THE LES PAYNE AWARD FOR COVERAGE ON COMMUNITIES OF COLOR​

• THE CITY “NYC: Nation’s Capital of Immigration Courthouse Arrests” Gwynne Hogan, Haidee Chu

THE CITY's continuous coverage of courthouse arrests by ICE, of immigrants appearing for their court hearings, has been pivotal to the nation's understanding of this practice that largely impacts communities of color. What really set this coverage apart was the impact it had on the trajectory of the immigration crackdown in New York City. A judge cited their video evidence of detention conditions when ordering ICE to cut down on the arrests and improve conditions. This package shows the power of journalism to spark change even when a newsroom is not richly resourced.

THE DANIEL PEARL AWARD FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

• Wall Street Journal “Exposing Trump’s Secrets and the Epstein Files” Khadeeja Safdar, Joe Palazzolo, Staff of The Wall Street Journal

“The Wall Street Journal’s groundbreaking exposé of President Donald Trump’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein stood out for the dauntless reporting by the Journal team and for its lasting impact on the national conversation. At a time when every news outlet in the country was trying to parse out Trump’s relationship to Epstein and abuse of women, the Journal moved further than anyone else. Unearthing the 2003 letters from Trump and Bill Clinton to Epstein, the documented evidence of Trump’s contribution to his letter, the DOJ’s warning to Trump about his name being 50 T mentioned in the files, and the web of Epstein emails mentioning Trump sent ripple effects across the country. The series captures the essence of Daniel Pearl’s vision and is truly deserving of the award.”

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

• Bloomberg News “Tesla’s Dangerous Doors” Bloomberg Staff

By exposing a potentially fatal flaw with Tesla's door handle design, the Bloomberg team may have literally saved lives. The series combines sharp explanatory journalism, impressive investigative reporting, and heartbreaking human stories to deliver a real public service. The impact was tangible: there were multiple federal investigations, a redesign, and greater public awareness of a hazard resulted from it.