By sponsoring our annual Excellence in Journalism Awards, proceeds go to the San Diego Press Club Foundation, which benefits students with scholarships and celebrates professional’s accomplishments.
Sponsorships also fuel the San Diego Press Club Foundation’s work throughout the year. Your support demonstrates that your company or organization cares about San Diego County’s well-being and that your brand stands tall in the community.
Submit your best work now for the San Diego Press Club 52nd Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards
IT’S TIME! The 52nd Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards contest begins today, July 1, 2025, and it’s time for you to be recognized for your incredible work.
After another record year of entries in 2024, I wanted to be sure you had a copy of the updated instructions and categories for this year’s contest.
COLLEGE MEDIA: Entries for the College Media Awards will be accepted starting Aug. 14, with a deadline of Wednesday, Sept. 4.
Deadline for professionals entering has been extended to Monday, Aug. 11, 11:59 p.m. (Really. Your judges will be waiting!)
NEW THIS YEAR!: SDPC is thrilled to now be partnered with the Illinois Press Association to use its Advanced Contest Entry System (ACES) as our new awards platform.
Please note, due to this change, some steps in the process below are new, and ALL entrants will need to register, even those who have entered in the past.
Entries to the 2025 San Diego Press Club 52nd Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards will be submitted using a new web-based program, ACES (link to contest page).
Entries must have been published, broadcast, aired, or online during the contest period from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.
Need help??? Questions related to the contest, ACES platform, or our club, including membership (for emails, please put “EIJ 52 Support” in the subject line): Albert Fulcher, admin@sdpressclub.org, or 858-215-1619 (text or call).
Using our NeonOne payment portal: Once you have completed all your entries, click on “Entry Fee Calculator” and check to be sure all your entries are included. Document the amount due and enter it on the payment portal using this link to pay immediately.
Pro tip: By default, the fee per entry is $35, excluding special categories. However, current members pay only $20/entry!
2024 Dues: • Active Media $60.00 • Public Relations $150.00 • Retired $40.00 • Student $20.00
2. Visit/read the 2024 Instructions and Categories before you go online to enter. This will make you life –and making deadline! — much easier. Use the link in that document to get to the Better BNC site to make your entries after you have read the instructions.
3. Collect the url and/or .pdf versions of your entries in a document or folder on your computer. This will ensure you don’t forget something or enter the same thing twice (it happens)!
Entry deadline is 9 p.m. on Friday, August 16, 2024.
WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR?
There are quite a few changes and enhancements for this year so please be sure to familiarize yourself with them before you go online to enter. All the changes for this year are highlighted in yellow in the 2024 Instructions and Categories.
WILDCARD CATEGORY for 2024: Artificial Intelligence
Entrants in this category may submit up to five examples of their journalistic work on the topic. Coverage may focus on San Diego County or on the general topic at the state, national, or global level. Winners will be judged on the completeness of their stories, the detail about individual cases and, where appropriate, results of their reporting in terms of company or official reaction and follow-up.
This category will be judged by a blue ribbon panel. The entry fee for this category is $50.
PAYMENT PORTAL UPGRADE: Our membership and payment systems now talk to each other, and we couldn’t be happier! Once you complete your submissions, please note the entry amount on the Better BNC website. Click on the “pay here” link to visit our new payment portal. Members may log in to confirm their membership is current and have our system auto-populate the fields on the payment form. You can also join at this time.
Whether you’re a longtime member or joining/renewing that day, don’t forget to deduct your $15/entry discount when completing your payment!
Have fun and please do not hesitate to contact your contest support team. Cody from BetterBNC, as well as SDPC’s Nicole Vargas and Sarah Austin are available to help. Visit 2024 Instructions and Categories for contact information.
Host Jane Mitchell, left, hugs Maya Trabulsi, who won the Body of Work award for her work for KPBS at the 50th Excellence in Journalism Awards. Photo by Vito Di Stefano
The 50th Annual San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards was an unqualified triumph at the International Houses in Balboa Park.
Award-winning journalists and communicators picked up their plaques and certificates while savoring tastes from San Diego’s stellar restaurants and wineries among the charming cottages.
The Special Awards were presented: Harold Keen Award for Journalistic Excellence to Diane Bell, the Andy Mace Award for Excellence in Public Relations to Georgeanne Irvine.
Pictured below: Georgeanne Irvine with SDPC Board VP Andrew James, left, and Diane Bell with SDPC Board Treasurer Cliff Albert. Photos by Vito Di Stefano
Congratulations to all the winners, the sponsors, the 2023-2024 Honorary Committee, the restaurant and beverage partners, the volunteers from the International Houses, the Balboa Park Rangers, the City of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation, the Awards Committee and the San Diego Press Club Board for an absolutely excellent Excellence in Journalism Awards event.
San Diego Press Club 