SPJ's Sunshine State Awards Unveils 2025 Journalism Honorees

Celebrating Excellence in Florida's Journalism

The Sunshine State Awards, the premier statewide journalism competition in Florida, has unveiled its honorees for 2025, honoring exceptional reporting produced in 2024. Held at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, the awards ceremony showcased the dedication and talent within the state's media landscape, marking another successful year of journalistic excellence.

This year's event was especially significant due to the introduction of the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting, a prestigious new award financed by a grant from the A-Mark Foundation. This initiative emphasizes the indispensable role of investigative reporting in our society, urging transparency and accountability among those in power. With a total of $15,000 in cash prizes awarded, the ceremony recognized three standout teams for their impactful stories:

1. First Place went to Trevor Aaronson and Eleanor Knight for their compelling Audible podcast series "Pulse: The Untold Story."
2. Second Place was awarded to Kylie McGivern, Randy Wright, and Melanie Payne of WFTS-TV Tampa Bay, for their crucial report titled "Pay to Stay: Incarceration Fees Stifle Former Felons."
3. Third Place was claimed by Caroline Braucher and Jennifer Hunt Murty from the Ocala Gazette for their investigation titled "Deaths in Custody at the Marion County Jail."

In addition to these prestigious honors, the awards recognized excellence across seven distinct divisions:

- Print and Digital Writing
- Photography and Design
- Television and Video
- Radio and Audio
- Digital
- Spanish Language
- Students

This year's Sunshine State Awards were organized by the SPJ Florida Pro Chapter in partnership with the South Florida chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists. Since its inception in 1994, this competition has served as a platform for celebrating outstanding journalism, with judges sourced from outside the Florida market to ensure impartiality and fairness.

The Sunshine State Awards also play a vital role in supporting the journalism community through professional development. Net proceeds from the event are reinvested into training programs, initiatives, and advocacy efforts aimed at enhancing the quality of journalism in the region.

The competition invites participation from various media professionals including those working in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as out-of-state journalists reporting on Florida-related stories. College and university students in Florida also have the opportunity to participate through the student division, which includes a special category for high school journalists.

As journalism continues to evolve in the digital age, the Sunshine State Awards honor the hard work and creativity of those committed to informing the public. They remind us of the power of storytelling and the importance of investigative work in a democratic society. The call for entries for the 2026 Sunshine State Awards will open in January, providing new opportunities for journalists dedicated to truth and accountability.

Stay tuned for more updates on this prestigious awards ceremony and the influential work emerging from Florida's journalism community.