CJA annually bestows several prestigious journalism awards that draw the best the industry has to offer, in entries from journalists across the Chicago metropolitan region and Northwest Indiana.
The Dorothy Storck Award
Established by Storck’s family and her partner, Dick Simpson, in 2017, the $1,000 award is named for the late syndicated newspaper columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winner who died in 2015. She began her journalism career at the Chicago American, which later became known as Chicago Today, and ended her career at the Philadelphia Inquirer. She was also a U.S. Air Force squadron commander who held the rank of major before becoming a journalist.
The award recognizes a Chicago area print, broadcast or digital columnist sharing Storck’s dedication, impact and commitment to craft. The award honors the best work produced by a woman, trans, femme or nonbinary (WTFNB) journalist.
Some of our recent recipients include Brandis Friedman (WTTW), Nell Salzman (Chicago Tribune) and Duaa Eldeib (ProPublica.)
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SUBMISSIONS 2026
Note: Fees listed are for each entry. You may enter multiple submissions and pay the appropriate amount. For example, if you’re a CJA member who enters before Sept. 18 and you enter two people, you would pay $100 on the PayPal website.
Early bird: Sept. 7-18
Submission form | Member link to pay: $50 | Nonmember link to pay: $60
Regular fees: Sept. 19-Oct. 2
Submission form | Member link to pay: $75 | Nonmember link to pay: $85
The Sarah Brown Boyden Awards
The Sarah Brown Boyden Awards recognize the year’s best journalism in 20 different categories — from arts, education and investigations to photography, public service, sports and everything in between. The best of the best among all categories takes home a $500 prize. Boyden was a pioneering journalist who attended Northwestern University in the 1920s and later made her mark at the Chicago Evening American, Chicago Daily News and Chicago Sun. She died in 1989 at age 86. Her family established this fund in her honor.
SUBMISSIONS 2026
Note: You may enter in multiple categories and pay once by adding the amount for each category and paying the total using the links below. For example, if you are a CJA member and enter 3 categories by the early bird deadline, you would pay $150 using the appropriate link below and indicate the amount on the PayPal payment page.
Early bird: Sept. 7-18
Submission form | Member link to pay: $50 | Nonmember link to pay: $60
Regular fees: Sept. 19-Oct. 2
Submission form | Member link to pay: $75 | Nonmember link to pay: $85
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Chicago Journalists Association annually honors a local, distinguished journalist who has dedicated years of service to the industry. Some of our recent honorees include Jim Williams (CBS News Chicago), Mary Mitchell (formerly Chicago Sun-Times), Curtis Lawrence (formerly Block Club Chicago), Jim Rose (formerly ABC 7 Chicago), Tracy Baim (Chicago Reader), Dorothy Tucker (CBS 2 Chicago), David Jackson (Better Government Association), Cheryl Burton (ABC 7 Chicago), Michael Sneed (Chicago Sun-Times), Bruce Dold (Chicago Tribune) and financial columnist Terry Savage.
SUBMISSIONS 2026
Note: There is no fee to nominate someone for this prestigious honor.
Submission form
Deadline: Sept. 23, 2026
Chicago Journalist of the Year
The Chicago Journalists Association bestows this special honor to a local journalist who has produced exemplary work in the past year. Some of our recent recipients include Jake Wittich (Windy City Times), Mike Lowe (WGN TV), Kelly Bauer (Block Club Chicago), the late Sharon Cohen (Associated Press) and Greg Hinz (Crain’s Chicago Business).
In 2022 and 2023, we adapted this award and presented an Emerging Journalist of the Year Award to Kelly Garcia (formerly Chicago Reader) and a Breakout Journalist of the Year Award to The TRiiBE’s Tonia Hill, respectively. In 2017, we presented a Comeback of the Year Award to NBC Chicago’s Rob Stafford in place of Chicago Journalist of the Year.
SUBMISSIONS 2026
Note: There is no fee to nominate someone for this prestigious honor.
Submission form
Deadline: Sept. 23, 2026