Revelations about President Joe Biden and his White House, as well as coverage of the attempted assassination of then-former President Donald Trump dominated the work being honored by the White House Correspondents’ Association with its annual journalism awards.
This year’s awards honor work done in 2024, at ABC News, the Associated Press, Axios, The New York Times, and Reuters
The awards will be presented at the WHCA Dinner on Saturday, April 26.
The WHCA award winners:
THE ALDO BECKMAN AWARD FOR OVERALL EXCELLENCE IN WHITE HOUSE COVERAGE
The award recognizes a body of work covering the White House, by a correspondent who personifies the journalistic excellence as well as the personal qualities exemplified by Aldo Beckman, the award-winning correspondent of the Chicago Tribune and former WHCA president. There is a prize of $2,500.
The Award goes to
Alex Thompson, Axios
From the Judges:
Alex Thompson’s work demonstrates that he embodies many of the traits exhibited by Aldo Beckman – impartiality, deep knowledge of the presidency (in this instance, the Biden administration) and integrity. Thompson’s aggressive reporting on Biden, especially leading up to and after the Trump-Biden debate, revealed that the president’s cognitive decline was impacting his ability to do his job, information the White House tried to conceal. After the debate, Thompson was the first to report that Biden was at his best from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — a stunning revelation. This was among the stories by Thompson that provided important insight into the inner workings of the Biden White House at a confusing and critical time.
See the winning coverage here.
Biden’s team bracing for special counsel’s report on classified docs
Two Joe Bidens: The night America saw the other one
“Freaking the f*** out”: Turmoil in the White House over Biden
Scoop: Inside Biden’s shrinking inner circle
Biden’s Obama grudge drives 2024 resolve
Scoop: Biden doubted Harris’ election chances
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THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL NEWS COVERAGE UNDER DEADLINE PRESSURE
The award honors presidential news coverage under deadline pressure. It is given in two categories: broadcast and print. Each includes a prize of $2,500.
The Award for print goes to
Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller, The Associated Press
From the Judges:
Madhani and Miller caught the White House press office trying to alter the official account of history — the White House transcript of Biden’s use of the word “garbage” to describe supporters of Donald Trump. On deadline, Madhani and Miller captured the conflict between federal workers who document the president’s words for posterity and political appointees trying to protect their boss.”
The Award for broadcast goes to
Rachel Scott, ABC News
From the Judges:
Scott’s reporting in the chaotic aftermath of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was unflappable and authoritative. When the Secret Service tried to clear the area, Scott stood her ground and provided confirmed verifiable facts as well as eye-witness accounts of the shooting amid the mayhem after the shooting.
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THE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL NEWS COVERAGE BY VISUAL JOURNALISTS
The award recognizes a video or photojournalist for uniquely covering the presidency from a journalistic standpoint, either at the White House or in the field. This could be breaking news, a scheduled event or feature coverage. It includes a prize of $2,500.
The Award goes to
Doug Mills, The New York Times
President Joe Biden walks from the podium after his remarks after signing ceremony for the $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Wednesday, April, 24, 2024.From the Judges:
A somber President Joe Biden — then wrestling with historic challenges, from international crises to domestic calls for him to end his re-election campaign — is centered in the image yet surrounded and visually almost overwhelmed by the physical infrastructure and historic weight of the White House. The only other living human in the picture is looking away from Biden, but the president is not unseen: he moves under the gaze of a reflective President Lincoln, completing this striking portrait of both a sitting president and the presidency itself.
Honorable Mention
Jim Watson, Agence France-Presse
Musk’s Giant Leap – Elon Musk makes an electrifying entrance, jumping on stage like it’s the latest SpaceX launch, as he joins Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on October 5, 2024, right where Trump’s first assassination attempt happened.From the Judges:
President Donald Trump began 2024 as a former president, continued as a presidential nominee, and ended it as a president-elect — requiring coverage of a president in both the past and future tenses for the first time in WHCA history. This striking image was taken one month before Election Day 2024, at a Butler, Pa. rally that marked Trump’s return to the location where shots had been fired as he stepped on stage during a campaign event months earlier. The photo was wordless yet descriptive, with Elon Musk’s exuberant leap providing an unmistakable exclamation mark.
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THE KATHARINE GRAHAM AWARD FOR COURAGE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The award recognizes an individual or news gathering team for coverage of subjects and events of significant national or regional importance in line with the human and professional qualities exemplified by the late Katharine Graham, the distinguished former publisher of the Washington Post. It comes with a prize of $10,000.
The Award goes to:
Reuters – Fentanyl Express
From the Judges:
This story powerfully brings the international drug trade of fentanyl and its deadly processes alive to its readers. While the reporters responsibly retained specific details on making fentanyl that could aid copycats, the story interestingly supports its narrative with visual graphics showing the building blocks of fentanyl. The fentanyl series won the 2025 Overseas Press Club award and demonstrates the humongous global problem that is impacting families and communities in the U.S. and abroad. Fentanyl continues to be of significant national importance due to its human impact, and this reporting exemplifies the professional qualities of the late Katharine Graham.
See the winning coverage HERE.
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NOTE:
The Collier Prize for State Government Accountability, administered independently and honoring statehouse reporting, also will be presented at the WHCA dinner.
The Center for Integrity in News Reporting Award, administered independently and honoring fairness in reporting on the White House, also will be presented at the WHCA dinner.
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For more information about the WHCA or its awards, contact Executive Director Steve Thomma at director@whca.press
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Our Judges
We thank our judges, coordinated by Ellen Shearer. William F. Thomas Professor Emerita in Journalism, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
Aldo Beckman Award Judges
Amy Eisman, Assistant Professor in Journalism, School of Communication at American University.
Jackie Jones. Dean and Professor, Morgan State University, School of Global Journalism & Communication
Ellen Shearer. William F. Thomas Professor Emerita in Journalism,
Medill School of Journalism/Northwestern University
Charles Whitaker. Dean. Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
Deadline Award Judges
Jesse Holland, Associate Director at The School of Media & Public Affairs at George Washington University
Sandy K. Johnson, President emeritus, National Press Foundation
Rafael Lorente, Dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland
Visual Journalism Award Judges
Dennis Brack. Former President of the White House News Photographers Association, Lifetime Achievement Award Winner from the WHNPA.
Yanick Rice Lamb. Professor of journalism, Department of Media, Journalism and Film, Cathy Hughes School of Communications, Howard University and Director of the Howard University News Service.
Rebecca Sinderbrand. Director, Journalism Program, College of Arts & Sciences, Georgetown University
Katharine Graham Award Judges
Barbara Cochran. President, Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation
Kathleen McElroy, Professor, School of Journalism and Media, Moody College of Communication, University of Texas at Austin
Julia A. Wilson. Dean, Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications, Hampton University
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