About NABJ Special Honors Awards
The NABJ Special Honors and Media Monitoring committees are soliciting nominations for NABJ's most coveted annual awards. The committees depend on nominations from NABJ's members, affiliate chapters and others.

The categories are: Lifetime Achievement, Journalist of the Year, Student Journalist of the Year, Legacy, Percy Qoboza, Community Service, Thumbs Down, Emerging Journalist, Best Practices, Chapter of the Year and Student Chapter of the Year . Except for Lifetime Achievement, each entrant's contributions and deeds should have occurred between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year.

The committees will review all entries and then forward their recommendations to the NABJ Board of Directors, which will decide the winners during its spring meeting. The winners will be formally recognized at NABJ's annual conventions.

Send nominations and all supporting documentation to:
Duanne Crawley
NABJ Special Honors
8701-A Adelphi Road
Adelphi, MD 20783-1716
(301) 445-7100 ext. 102

NABJ reserves the right not to award any of the mentioned honors in any given year.

» 2004 Special Honors recipients
» View all previous Special Honors recipients

Categories and eligibility requirements

Lifetime Achievement
Awarded to a black print, broadcast or photojournalist with a minimum of 15 years in the industry. Nominees in the category may be living or deceased and must have or still be making an extraordinary contribution to the enrichment, understanding or advancement of black life and culture.

Nominations must document the candidate's work. Documentation for print or photojournalists should not exceed five pages. Nominations for broadcast journalists must include videotape (VHS) or audiotape of up to five minutes of the nominee's work. Each entry must include a letter—typed, double-spaced, no more than 500 words—outlining reasons for the nomination.

Journalist of the Year
Awarded to an black journalist who has distinguished himself or herself with a body of work, a story, series or photographs published or aired during the period of eligibility that was extraordinary in depth, scope or significance to African Americans or the African diaspora. A previous Journalist of the Year winner may be nominated again for work he or she did during the eligibility period.

Nominations must document the candidate's work. Documentation for print or photojournalists should not exceed five pages. Nominations for broadcast journalists must include videotape (VHS) or audiotape of up to five minutes of the nominee’s work. Each entry must include a letter—typed, double-spaced, no more than 500 words—outlining reasons for the nomination.

Student Journalist of the Year
Awarded to a black full-time collegiate journalist who has excelled within the field of journalism through a story, body of work, series or photograph(s) published or aired during the period of eligibility. The student can be in print, broadcast, radio, photography, magazine, or new media and must display a strong commitment to NABJ and academics.

Nominations must document the candidate's work. Documentation for print or photojournalists should not exceed five pages. Nominations for broadcast journalists must include videotape (VHS) or audiotape of up to five minutes of the nominee's work. Each entry must include a letter-typed, double spaced, and be no more than 500 words that outline the reasons for the nomination.

Legacy Award
Awarded to a pioneer black print broadcast or photojournalist of extraordinary accomplishment who has broken barriers and blazed trails. Nominees may be living or deceased and have contributed to the understanding or advancement of people and issues in the African diaspora.

Nominations must document the candidate's work. Documentation for print or photojournalists should not exceed five pages. Nominations for broadcast journalists must include videotape (VHS) or audiotape up to five minutes of the nominee's work. Nominations for photojournalists must include slides or prints no photocopies). Each entry must include a letter—typed, double-spaced, no more than 500 words—outlining reasons for the nomination.

Percy Qoboza Award
Awarded to a foreign journalist who has done extraordinary work while overcoming tremendous obstacles that contributes to the enrichment, understanding or advancement of people or issues in the African diaspora. The honor is not open to journalists working for American-based publications.

Nominations must document the candidate's work. Documentation for print or photojournalists should not exceed five pages. Nominations for broadcast journalists must include videotape (VHS) or audiotape of up to five minutes of the nominee's work. Each entry must include a letter—typed, double-spaced, no more than 500 words—outlining reasons for the nomination.

Community Service Award
Awarded to a black journalist who has had a positive impact on the Black community outside the normal realm of journalism.

Nominations must document the candidate's outreach to the community. Documentation may include clips, articles, videotapes (VHS), supporting letters and certificates. Each entry must include a letter—typed, double-spaced, no more than 500 words—outlining reasons for the nomination.

Thumbs Down Award
Awarded to an individual or organization for especially insensitive, racist or stereotypical reporting, commentary, photography or a cartoon about the black community published or aired during the eligibility period, or for engaging in practices at odds with the goals of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Emerging Journalist Award
Awarded to a black print, broadcast or photo journalist with fewer than five years of experience in the industry, excluding internships. Nominees must—through their work and service—display a commitment to NABJ's goal of outstanding achievement by black journalists and to providing balanced coverage of the black community and society at large. Previous winners are not eligible.

Best Practices
Awarded to a news organization for its exemplary work in covering issues during the eligibility period of great significance to the black community or the African diaspora and or for its efforts in increasing diversity among its newsroom staff and management.

Nominations must be accompanied by documentation of the candidate's work. Documentation for print entries should include articles and photographs. Documentation for broadcast entries should include videotape or audiotape of up to five minutes of the nominee's work. Documentation for diversity efforts should include, but not be limited to, actual numbers.

Chapter of the Year
Awarded to a NABJ professional affiliate chapter for its accomplishments during the eligibility period. Criteria should include, but not be limited to, the number and size of scholarships awarded by the chapter, the number of new members who have joined the chapter and NABJ, and the chapter’s community activities and programs.

Nominations must include a recommendation letter—typed, double-spaced, and no more than 500 words—from the regional director, who may suggest more than one chapter. If the director belongs to a nominated chapter, the recommendation should come from the deputy regional director or the president of another local in the region. Nominations should be accompanied by documentation that may include published reports, chapter newsletters and statements—typed, double-spaced, no more than 100 words—from members recommending their chapter.

Student Chapter of the Year
Awarded to a NABJ student chapter for accomplishments during the eligibility period. Criteria should include, but not be limited to, the number of new members who joined the chapter and NABJ, and the chapter’s campus and community activities and programs.

Nominations must include recommendation letters—typed, double-spaced, no more than 500 words—from both the regional director, who may suggest more than one chapter, and the chapter's advisor. Nominations should be accompanied by documentation that may include published reports, chapter newsletters and statements—typed, double-spaced, and no more than 100 words—from chapter members. Each entry must include the chapter's name and address, its president's name; its advisor's name and phone number, and when the chapter was founded.