January 2026
The WHCA is happy to announce that it is doubling the amount of the cash prizes that come with most of its annual journalism awards, which open for submissions today.
Three of the awards will now come with a prize of $5,000 for each winning entry, up from $2,500 last year.
They are:
-The Aldo Beckman Award for Overall Excellence in White House Coverage;
-The WHCA Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure;
-The WHCA Award for Excellence in Presidential News Coverage by Visual Journalists.
The deadline for submissions is 5 pm EST, Feb. 27, 2026
The awards will be presented at the association’s annual dinner in Washington on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
The awards:
THE ALDO BECKMAN AWARD FOR OVERALL EXCELLENCE IN WHITE HOUSE COVERAGE
This award recognizes a body of work over the course of a year, using a range of journalistic skills and tools to illuminate the president and the presidency. These can include in-depth reporting, skilled use of data, and clear writing and/presentation. Subjects can include, but are not limited to, presidential decision making, management of the White House and executive branch, political skill, and communications abilities, as well as the national political landscape as it relates to presidential politics and governing.
The award is named for Aldo Beckman, a former president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and correspondent for the Chicago Tribune known for his journalistic excellence and personal character.
It carries a cash prize of $5,000.
See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.
THE WHCA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESIDENTIAL NEWS COVERAGE UNDER DEADLINE PRESSURE
The WHCA Award for excellence in presidential news coverage under deadline pressure is offered in two categories. Each comes with a prize of $5,000. The categories are:
See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.
THE WHCA 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. The award comes with a prize of $5,000.
See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.
THE KATHARINE GRAHAM AWARD FOR COURAGE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
The $10,000 award recognizes an individual or newsgathering 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.
Judges will look for excellence in stories with fairness and objectivity in selecting a recipient, and special consideration will be given to reporting undertaken despite adversity.
See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.
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Please note: you MUST complete the online submission form and attach all of the stories and any supporting letters, by the deadline of 5 pm EST on Friday, February 27, 2026. Please remember that news could happen on the deadline day – DO NOT wait until the last minute.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Steve Thomma at the WHCA, at director@whca.press or 202-499-4187
This award recognizes a body of work over the course of a year, using a range of journalistic skills and tools to illuminate the president and the presidency. These can include in-depth reporting, skilled use of data, and clear writing and/or presentation. Subjects can include, but are not limited to, presidential decision making, management of the White House and executive branch, political skill, and communications abilities, as well as the national political landscape as it relates to presidential politics and governing.
The award is named for a former president of the White House Correspondents’ Association and correspondent for the Chicago Tribune known for his journalistic excellence and personal character.
See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.
The WHCA Award for excellence in presidential news coverage under deadline pressure is offered in two categories. Each comes with a prize of $2,500. The categories are:
See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.
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 comes with a prize of $2,500.
See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.
The $10,000 award recognizes an individual or newsgathering 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.
Judges will look for excellence in stories with fairness and objectivity in selecting a recipient, and special consideration will be given to reporting undertaken despite adversity.
See the CALL FOR ENTRIES here.
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