Enter the 2025 Best of indiana journalism Awards
Submit your best work from 2025.
Here are all the categories and the requirements for each entry.
Enter here: https://awards.indianaprospj.org
Be the best of the best
Indiana Pro SPJ Chapter announces A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism Return
The Indiana Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is proud to announce the return of the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism. Now in its second year, the award is part of the Best in Indiana Journalism contest which recognizes the outstanding work of individual Hoosier journalists and newsrooms.
Thanks to our continued partnership with the A-Mark Foundation, Indiana SPJ will once again offer cash prizes totaling $15,000 for the state’s best investigative journalism. Winners will be announced at the Best in Indiana banquet next spring.
The contest is open now!
Learn more about the 2024 A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism winners
The purpose of A-Mark is to recognize and elevate outstanding journalists while inspiring more in-depth reporting on the issues shaping Indiana communities.
2024 winner and IndyStar reporter Hayleigh Colombo said, “I, personally, hadn’t heard of the award before so I didn’t realize that it came with a cash prize, which was wild—definitely a first for my career.”
Another 2024 winner was Mirror Indy reporter Emily Hopkins. “I think there’s a little bit of a love-hate relationship with awards in this industry because it’s not why we do things,” said Hopkins, “but after doing the really hard work that this is, it is nice to have some recognition and it puts a little fuel back in the tank.”
About the Best in Indiana A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism
This category is open to all Indiana journalists and outlets. This is a specialty award category and, as such, will be judged by a panel of experts including former journalists and media professionals to be selected by the Indiana Pro SPJ board.
First place: $5,000 for journalist(s), $2,500 for newsroom
Second place: $3,000 for journalist(s), $1,500 for newsroom
Third place: $2,000 for journalist(s), $1,000 for newsroom
*Please note, entrants can submit the same story as they do for A-Mark Prize consideration in their respective television, radio, print, digital or student journalism division to be judged by out-of-state journalism professionals. See the Best in Indiana Journalism Call for Entries for additional general contest details.*
Entrants need not be members of the Society of Professional Journalists.
All entries must have been published or broadcast during calendar year 2025. A series of stories must have started publication or broadcast in 2025.
The contest is open now. The deadline to enter is Feb. 6, 2026. All entries must be submitted to the online entry site. The entry fee is $20.
Contest entries should be investigative reporting by an individual or team. Entries may be a single report or a series. Entrants must provide a supporting statement explaining the origins of the story idea and the impact of the reporting.
Winners will be announced at the annual Best in Indiana awards banquet April 17, 2026. Winning work will be featured on the A-Mark Foundation website.
Follow Indiana Pro SPJ on social media for updates