On April 17, 2026, the Indiana Pro SPJ chapter honored the best Indiana journalists from across the state at its annual awards banquet. Top honors went to journalists from The Indianapolis Star and Mirror Indy for Story of the Year and Journalist of the Year.
It was the second year the Indiana Pro SPJ Chapter awarded A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism honors. A panel of retired Indiana journalists with investigative experience awarded a collaboration between The Indianapolis Star and Mirror Indy the top prize. Second place went to a trio of journalists from WTHR. A collaboration between The Capital Chronicle and The Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism received the third place prize.
The Indiana Pro SPJ Chapter awarded the First Amendment Award to Ed Feigenbaum & Emily Ketterer of Hannah News Service-Midwest. Students with Purdue Exponent and Indiana Daily Student received the Indiana Journalism Courage Award for their commitment to independence, fairness and the truth after the Daily Student’s publication was threatened.
Two journalists were honored with the Slaymaker Service to Journalism Award for 2025. Cathy Knapp of WFIU and WTIU and Tim Evans of The Indianapolis Star both received the award for their decades of service to journalism.
Students from Indiana University, Franklin College, and Ball State University received the chapter’s 2026-27 scholarships.
You can read more about the top awards and see a full list of winners in the awards winners section.