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September 3, 2026

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2026 Online Journalism Awards

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ICYMI: Earlier today, we announced winners in the 2026 Online Journalism Awards (#OJA26) during a virtual ceremony hosted by ONA Executive Director/CEO Niketa Patel, Deputy Director Hanaa Rifaey and 2025 Founder Award recipient Robert Hernandez.

Today’s event showcased 16 of the 28 categories that were open to submissions in the 2026 OJAs. From groundbreaking investigations to compelling visualizations, this year’s winners demonstrate the extraordinary ways journalism can strengthen communities and serve democracy. We are honored to present the winners and encourage you to get to know their work and impact.

See the 2026 OJA winners and finalists

Winners in the remaining 12 categories will be announced in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 1, during the Online Journalism Awards Celebration at City Winery, 6–10 p.m. Get your tickets or bring your newsroom and buy a table.

Congratulations to our winners!

Breaking News
Large Newsroom
A Fatal Encounter
Minnesota Star Tribune
Small/Medium Newsroom
Historic December Floods
The Seattle Times
Digital Video Storytelling
Tie
Long Form, Large
Meow Meow: Inside Russia’s Mephedrone Teen Crisis
BBC News
Tie
Long Form, Large
Filmed in Gaza
NBC News Digital
Long Form, Small/Med
Status: Venezuelan
FRONTLINE FEATURES in collaboration with Univision, ProPublica
Series, Large
View From Above
Business Insider
Series, Small/Med
Agents of Chaos: Tracking Border Patrol Operations Across the US
Bellingcat, CalMatters, Evident Media
Short Form, Large
Hidden Invasion: Inside Rwanda’s Covert War in Eastern Congo
NBC News Digital
Short Form, Small/Med
What Japan’s Atom Bomb Survivors Have Taught Us About the Dangers of Nuclear War
Retro Report
Social Media, Large
The Economist’s Visual Investigations
The Economist
Social Media, Small/Med
Dave Jorgenson Goes Independent
Local News International
Excellence in AI Innovation
Large Newsroom
Surfacing the Story: How WSJ’s ORCA Unlocks the Podcast Universe
The Wall Street Journal
Small Newsroom
The Thread: AI-Assisted Obituary Curation as Cultural Journalism
HEATDRAWN Media
Excellence in Collaboration and Partnerships
Viktoriia Project
Forbidden Stories
Excellence in Science Reporting
Large Newsroom
Cancer Capitalism
Bloomberg News
Small/Medium Newsroom
‘All Hell Breaks Loose’: How Big Oil Ruined a Small Texas Town
The Xylom
Excellence in Social Justice Reporting
Portfolio
Taken by Taxes
Injustice Watch, Investigative Project on Race and Equity
Single Story
Cost of Failing
Spotlight PA
Excellence in Sports Reporting
Small/Medium Newsroom
Prey to Play
NJ Advance Media
Excellence in Technology Reporting
Large Newsroom
Meta’s Secrets to Success
Reuters
Medium Newsroom
He Leaked the Secrets of a Southeast Asian Scam Compound. Then He Had to Get Out Alive
WIRED
Small Newsroom
Pennsylvania’s AI Infrastructure Boom: From Political Announcement to Local Consequence
Technical.ly
Explanatory Reporting
Large Newsroom
Floods Above
The Washington Post
Medium Newsroom
License to Kill
CalMatters
Small Newsroom
Supreme Costs
Wisconsin Watch
Feature
Large Newsroom
Exposed and Expendable
The New York Times
Medium Newsroom
A Mississippi Death Penalty Jury Was Seated. With One Black Juror.
Mississippi Today
Small Newsroom
Saving Sinking Homes & Mourning Land That Leaves
The Margin
Innovation in Revenue Strategy
Large Newsroom
Strib Varsity
Minnesota Star Tribune
Medium Newsroom
The Kyiv Independent Reader Revenue Strategy
The Kyiv Independent
Online Commentary
Package of Columns
American War
The Verge
Personal Narrative
Holes in My Head. Wires in My Brain.
The Globe and Mail
Student Journalism Award
When Lightning Strikes
WUFT.org at the UF College of Journalism and Communications
The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award
Large Newsroom
Exposed and Expendable
The New York Times
Medium Newsroom
Rx Roulette: The FDA’s Dangerous Gamble on America’s Drugs
ProPublica
Small Newsroom
The Price of Progress: The Dark Side of Critical Minerals in the Amazon
Amazon Underworld
Topical Reporting: Artificial Intelligence
Large Newsroom
Inside the Trillion-Dollar AI Machine
Bloomberg News
Tie
Medium Newsroom
“AI Boyfriends”: Teens and Chatbot Relationships
Hearst Connecticut Media Group
Tie
Medium Newsroom
The Invisible Labor of AI
The Verge
Small Newsroom
My Mom and Dr. DeepSeek
Rest of World
Micro Newsroom
Shell Game
Kaleidoscope
Topical Reporting: Gender and Identity
Large Newsroom
Her Turn to Play
The Globe and Mail
Medium Newsroom
They Didn’t Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth.
ProPublica
Small Newsroom
The Network
Futuro Media Group

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