Congratulations to this year's winners!
Congratulations to all 2024 California Journalism Awards winners!
Winners are listed by category at https://cnpa.com/california-journalism-awards/2024-cja-winners/
The California Journalism Awards provide publishers and editors with an opportunity to promote excellence in journalism and recognize their staffs’ outstanding work in informing and enlightening readers through reporting, design, photography, and multimedia in print and online.
The California Journalism Awards also include the Campus Contest, which offers high schools, two-year colleges, and four-year universities the opportunity to promote excellence in journalism and recognize their students’ outstanding work in informing and enlightening readers through reporting, design, and photojournalism in print and digital media.
Contest Period
Entry publication dates must be between January 1 and December 31, 2024. A series that starts before or ends after the contest period is eligible for publication between those dates.Entry Deadline & Fees
The deadline is Tuesday, February 25, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Entries will be accepted after this date, but entry fees will be doubled. The extended deadline is Sunday, March 2, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Entries will not be accepted after 11:59 p.m. on March 2nd.Judging Requirements
Judges will choose five finalists in each category. 1st through 5th place will receive personalized certificates with the names of the entrants, the publication, the category and the placing. For winning entries with multiple credits, each person will receive an individual certificate. Entrants are required to provide judges. See rules for details.Campus Judging Requirements
All entrants in the Campus competition MUST provide judges for the contest as follows: 4-year and 2-year colleges: 2 judges High schools: 1 judge Judges do not have to be employees of your school as long as they are experienced journalists. Contestants that do not provide judges before Tuesday, February 25, 2025 will have their entries disqualified.- See this year's California Journalism Awards Finalists
Finalists
Finalists have been announced! Winners will be announced at our annual California Journalism Awards Gala on May 17, 2025.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THIS YEAR'S WINNERS!
View this year's winnersPast Contest Winners and Galleries
View winners & galleriesHow to Enter
For more information, contact Contest Administrator at contests@cnpa.com.
Submit your entryCalifornia Journalism Awards Contest FAQs
When is the deadline for contest entries this year?
The deadline is 11:59 p.m. (PT) on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. A second late deadline will be available until 11:59 p.m. (PT) on Sunday, March 2, 2025, but entry fees will double after 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 25.
No entries will be accepted after 11:59 p.m. on March 2, 2025.
How do I determine which division to enter?
To determine which division to enter, follow these steps:
- Review the division criteria – Your division is based on the highest applicable category among:
- Daily or weekly print circulation (not applicable to digital publications)
- Monthly unique website visitors
- Full-time employees (FTE)
- Follow the decision-making process – Use the contest division flowchart to identify your division based on your highest qualifying factor.
- Choose the correct division – If your publication qualifies for multiple divisions, enter the highest applicable division.
For further assistance, email contests@cnpa.com.
Who do you contact if you have a problem entering?
Contact Contest Administrator at contests@cnpa.com
What is the time period for when entries must have been published?
Jan. 1, 2024 – Dec. 31, 2024.
Can freelancers enter the contest?
Yes, freelancers may enter the contest but they must be CNPA Members and had their entries published by a CNPA-Member publication in 2024.
Interested in becoming a CNPA freelance member? Learn more and join CNPA at https://cnpa.com/member-services/freelancer-membership/
How does judging work?
Most entries are judged by CNPA-Member entrants themselves who judge categories and circulation levels different than the ones they have entered. Publications and freelancers who enter the contest must sign up to judge by Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, or their entries will be disqualified. You can sign up at https://cnpa.formstack.com/forms/judges.
A select group of out-of-state journalists judge the following categories: General Excellence, Enterprise News Story or Series, Feature Story, In-Depth Reporting, Investigative Reporting and Public Service Journalism.
How many articles can you submit in a category?
It varies depending on the instructions for each category. However, if a category allows multiple story entries, avoid overwhelming the judges with dozens of stories on the same subject—they will get the idea! Since most judges are working journalists at CNPA-member publications, their time for judging is limited.
What happens if you make a mistake when submitting an entry?
If you realize that you have made a mistake, you may go back into the entry anytime until the entry deadline and fix it. If the contest administrator notices that you made a mistake, they will email you ONCE to the email on file to ask you to fix it. If the mistake is not fixed by the contest deadline the entry will be disqualified.
What are the common mistakes when submitting entries?
- Misreading category descriptions and instructions. Each category’s description and requirements are different.
- Not providing passwords to access a website paywall or submitting incorrect passwords.
- Failing to attach all parts of an entry or providing the wrong link for an online submission.
- Omitting required supplemental information for an entry.
- Submitting the incorrect number of articles required for an entry.
When will winners be announced?
Winners will be announced at the annual gala on May 17, 2025.
CJA 2023 Contest by the numbers
Print Contest Winners
Campus Contest Winners
Digital Contest Winners
Open Division Contest Winners
The California News Publishers Association, which sponsors the California Journalism Awards, requests that all contest entrants read the contest rules and instructions carefully before submitting entries. This will reduce the chance of entries being disqualified.
