Awards

A commitment to honoring the past, present and future of journalism.

The Deadline Club Awards

The Deadline Club’s journalism competition, one of the most prestigious in New York, stretches back to 1957, when the club introduced the James Wright Brown Award honoring outstanding journalistic achievement in the metropolitan area. That first prize was presented to The New York Journal-American for the paper’s role in the capture of George Metesky, the “Mad Bomber.” In 1968, legendary cartoonist Rube Goldberg sculpted his “dead line” for the annual competition that today recognizes the best in journalism across 36 categories.

The annual awards receive hundreds of entries comprising all media types. Nearly 100 volunteer judges—all experienced journalists—participated in examining each entry for fairness, balance and accuracy; thoroughness, timeliness and clarity; news language and technical skills exhibited; enterprise, resourcefulness and obstacles overcome; effort involved in preparation; and the story’s interest and importance to the public.

While only one winner in each category will take home the coveted “dead line” statuette—affectionately dubbed the Rube after its creator, the iconic Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist and sculptor Rube Goldberg—simply being named a finalist in this contest says a great deal about the quality of each selected work.

LINKS TO THE 2023 AWARDS
Keynote conversation

With Clarissa Ward and David Rohde

Award winners

See the full list of winners with judges' comments

Photo gallery

Relive this year's awards ceremony

Guests stand up and cheer at the 2023 awards ceremony.
Journalists gathered together for the 2023 Awards ceremony at the Harvard Club of New York City.

As part of the awards dinner, the Deadline Club recognizes and honors the best in high school journalism teaching and advising with The Robert Greenman Award for Excellence in High School Journalism and Advising. The 2023 award was granted to Tom Wentworth, a journalism teacher and student newspaper adviser at Brooklyn Technical High School.

In addition, the Deadline Club supports and encourages journalism in the metropolitan area through its annual scholarship program. Each year, the Club awards $2,500 scholarships to students for their extraordinary dedication to storytelling in underrepresented communities and their role as examples of truth and fairness for young journalists everywhere. Learn about the accomplishments and future endeavors of the recent winners here.

Students receiving scholarship certificates.
Three of 2023's scholarship winners, from left to right: Liset Cruz, Eduardo Salazar, Elliot Heath.

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