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September 3, 2026

Congratulations to the Winners of the 2026 Online Journalism Awards

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On Sept. 3, winners were announced 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.

The 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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