Be the best of the best

The Indiana Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the Best in Indiana Journalism A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism.

Enter to win prizes totaling $15,000

The Indiana Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists has partnered with the A-Mark Foundation to offer cash prizes for the state’s best investigative journalism. Awards will be presented at the yearly Best in Indiana banquet totaling $15,000 for journalists and news outlets. The goal of this new award is to reward and promote topnotch journalists and encourage more to dig deeper into the stories impacting Indiana communities.

Best in Indiana Journalism A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism

First place: $5,000 for journalist(s), $2,500 for newsroom

Second place: $3,000 for journalist(s), $1,500 for newsroom

Third place: $2,000 for journalist(s), $1,000 for newsroom

This new category is open to all Indiana journalists and outlets. This is a specialty award and, as such, will be judged by a panel of experts including former journalists and media professionals to be selected by the Indiana Pro SPJ board. The Special Honors Division is particularly selective, and awards will be presented only to exceptional nominees.

*Please note, entrants can submit the same story in their respective television, radio, print, digital or student journalism division to be judged by out-of-state journalism professionals. See the Best in Indiana Journalism Call for Entries for additional general contest details.*

Entrants need not be members of the Society of Professional Journalists.

All entries must have been published or broadcast during calendar year 2024. A series of stories must have started publication or broadcast in 2024.

The contest portal opens December 1, 2024. The deadline to enter is February 7, 2025. All entries must be submitted to the online entry site https://awards.indianaprospj.org/. The entry fee is $20.

Contest entries should be investigative reporting by an individual or team. Entries may be a single report or a series. Entrants must provide a supporting statement explaining the origins of the story idea and the impact of the reporting.

Winners will be announced at the annual Best in Indiana awards banquet May 2, 2025. Winning work will be featured on the A-Mark Foundation website https://amarkfoundation.org/a-mark-prizes/.

Follow Indiana Pro SPJ on social media for updates

the Best in Indiana Journalism Awards

BEST IN INDIANA CONTEST WINNERS: 2023

Journalists from The Indianapolis Star, WFYI, and the Indiana Daily Student took home the top awards in the 2023 Best in Indiana Journalism awards. Students from Butler University and Indiana University received the chapter’s college scholarships.

Tony Cook, Alexandria Burris, Dayeon Eom, and Ryan Martin of The Indianapolis Star were awarded Story of the Year for their investigation into bad bars in the community with troubled reputations. The team used research and data to show the history of crime violence, and how the agency responsible for overseeing these businesses has failed to do its job.

The honor of Indiana Journalist of the Year for 2023 went to Lee V. Gaines with WFYI. Judges highlighted her work on a series of stories that documented how some of the state’s most vulnerable children are isolated and restrained in a violation of policy. She used hard facts and compelling human stories to highlight the issues.

The staff of The Indiana Daily Student received Student Journalist of the Year for 2023. The Enterprise Desk combined investigative stories and compelling stories of the human spirit to encapsulate the campus community. They also worked to highlight several issues impacting all those living in Bloomington.

The Indiana Pro SPJ Board awarded the 2023 Slaymaker Service to Journalism Award to media attorney Dan Byron for his decades of work fighting to get cameras in Indiana courtrooms. It also awarded this year’s First Amendment Award to the Indiana Public Access Counselor’s Office and Luke Britt, the state’s current and longest serving Public Access Counselor.

The entry fees from contest submissions help fund the chapter’s college scholarship program. The scholarship is now named in honor of longtime board member, Scott Uecker. He recently retired from UIndy, after spending decades helping shape the journalists of the future. Recipients of Scott Uecker College Scholarships for the 2024-25 school year are Indiana University Students Taylor Satoski, $2,000 scholarship, and Ryan Costello, $2,000 scholarship, and Butler University Student Eva Hallman, $1,000 scholarship.

For a complete list of all 2023 Best in Indiana Journalism Award winners, click here.
The Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists congratulates all of this year’s winners.

The awards were presented April 26 during the chapter’s annual awards banquet.

BEST IN INDIANA CONTEST WINNERS: 2022

The top honors in the chapter’s 2022 Best in Indiana journalism contest went to reporters from The Indianapolis Star, Indiana Public Broadcasting and the Indiana Daily Student. Students from Indiana University received the chapter’s college scholarships.

Binghui Huang, Kristine Phillips and Mykal McEldowney from The Indianapolis Star, won Story of the Year for their investigation into the treatment of Indiana’s RV workers at the start of COVID. Their story showed how high demand for recreational vehicles led to shoddy products. As a result, the governor proposed increasing IOSHA funding.

Dana Hunsinger, with The Indianapolis Star, received the honor of Indiana Journalist of the Year for 2022. Her worked helped former ABA players finally receive their pensions. As part of her sports enterprise reporting, she also explored the role Hoosiers played in creating Title IX.

Cate Charron, formerly of The Indiana Daily Student, was named of Student Journalist of the Year for her efforts to how the Indiana University didn’t follow its own guidelines surrounding the disciplining of a student after a sexual assault investigation. Judges highlighted her persistence over a six month period, which led to her taking the university to the public access counselor after it denied her FOIA request. The public access counselor sided with Cate.

Other top winners include Indiana Public Broadcasting receiving the Slaymaker Service to Journalism Award. Also, Shari Rudavsky, of The Indianapolis Star, was awarded the Indiana Journalism Courage Award for telling the story of a 10-year-old Ohio rape survivor who traveled to Indiana for an abortion and the doctor who helped her.

The entry fees from contest submissions and other feels help fund the chapter’s college scholarship program. Recipients of scholarships for the 2023-24 school year are Indiana University Students Marissa Meador, $3,000 scholarship, and Ryan Costello, $2,000 scholarship.

What a great year for journalism in Indiana. The Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists congratulates all of this year’s winners.

The awards were presented April 21 during the chapter’s annual awards banquet.

BEST IN INDIANA CONTEST WINNERS: 2021

Reporters from The Indianapolis Star and Indiana Public Broadcasting and students on the enterprise desk at the Indiana Daily Student took home top honors in the chapter’s 2021 Best in Indiana journalism contest. Students from Indiana University, Goshen College and University of Indianapolis received the chapter’s college scholarships.

Tim Evans, Ryan Martin, Robert Scheer and Ko Lyn Cheang, from The Indianapolis Star, won Story of the Year for their investigation into the number of people who are dying while locked up in county jails. Their story exposed the causes behinds these deaths, the ongoing safety violations at these jails and the numbers that show the problems are getting worse.

Lauren Chapman, with Indiana Public Broadcasting, was selected as Indiana Journalist of the Year for her coverage of the impacts of Covid-19. In addition to detailing the ever-changing guidelines, she built charts and maps to track infections and deaths and even build a digital tracker to explain the impact on different racial and gender groups in Indiana.

The Enterprise Desk at The Indiana Daily Student received the honor of Student Journalist of the Year. Judges said its ability to employ in-depth reporting with sophisticated presentations would be the envy of most top collegiate newsrooms in the nation.

Other top winners include Steve Key, of the Hoosier State Press Association receiving the Slaymaker Service to Journalism Award, Mark Wilson, of the Hoosier State Press Association receiving the First Amendment Award, and Steve Sanders, of Indiana University, receiving the Indiana Journalism Courage Award.

The Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists congratulates all of this year’s winners.

Proceeds from the Best in Indiana contest help fund the chapter’s college scholarship program. Recipients of scholarships for the 2022-23 school year are Olivia Oliver of Indiana University, $3,000 scholarship, Amelia Turnbull of Goshen College, $1,500 scholarship and Giselle Valentin of University of Indianapolis, $1,500 scholarship.

The awards were presented April 22 during the chapter’s annual awards banquet.

BEST IN INDIANA CONTEST WINNERS: 2020

The Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists congratulates all the winners in the 2020 Best of Indiana Contest. Due to the pandemic, Indiana Pro SPJ hosted our first ever virtual awards banquet on June 14, 2021. You can view the event on YouTube or visiting our Facebook page.

Reporters from WIBC, The Indianapolis Star and The Statehouse File took home top honors in the chapter’s 2020 Best in Indiana journalism contest. Students from Ball State University received the chapter’s college scholarships.

Tony Cook, Tim Evans and Emily Hopkins, from The Indianapolis Star, won Story of the Year for their investigation into how government officials used millions of dollars in federal nursing home funds to boost the budgets of hospitals. It showed how hundreds of deaths during the pandemic likely could have been prevented if the problem hadn’t impacted staffing at certain nursing homes.

Chris Davis, with WIBC, was selected as Indiana Journalist of the Year for his coverage of several topics including live coverage of the riots in Indianapolis, award-winning coverage of the Democratic Primary and then his reporting of Pete Buttigieg’s run for president.

Erica Irish, with Franklin College’s The Statehouse File, received the honor of Student Journalist of the Year. Judges said her reporting on the alleged sexual misconduct of a former Franklin College president was courageous and pointed out her reporting from the scene of a Black Lives Matter protest was exceptional.

Other top winners include The Indianapolis Star receiving the First Amendment Award for its advocacy for making Covid-19 data public and Jill Ditmire, with WFYI, receiving the Slaymaker Service to Journalism Award.

Entries into the Best in Indiana contest help fund the chapter’s college scholarship program. The following Ball State University students won scholarships for the 2021-22 school year, Maggie Getzin $2,000 scholarship and Becca Foerder and Blake Chapman, $1,500 scholarship.

Outstanding work by journalists all over the state in a difficult year. Click here to view the list of winners.

Best in Indiana Contest Winners: 2019

The Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists is proud to recognize journalists from WNDU, the Indianapolis Star and Indiana University with special honors in the 2019 Best in Indiana journalism contest. Students from Indiana University, Ball State University, and the University of Indianapolis received this year’s $2,000 college scholarships.

The contest entries showed outstanding work by broadcast, print and online professional and collegiate journalists across our state. Entries were judged by journalists from the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania, an SPJ chapter in the Pittsburgh area.

Tricia Sloma, a reporter and anchor at WNDU, was recognized as Indiana Journalist of the Year for her work showing the devastating effects of recent bus stop tragedies, and Marisa Kwiatkowski, of the Indianapolis Star, received Story of the Year for her series on Ashley Peterson, which judges said was “absolutely gripping.”

The staff of the Indiana Daily Student at Indiana University took home the honor of being named Student Journalists of the Year in recognition of stories about striking GM workers, the murder of a fellow student, and sexual harassment allegations.

This year’s Slaymaker Service to Journalism award goes to Terra Brantley, evening news anchor for WANE 15. Brantley, judges said, “led an inspiring career” where she told stories that advocated for her viewers, especially those affected by homelessness, domestic violence, and gender inequality.

Proceeds from our contest fund the chapter’s college scholarship program. Because we did not put on a banquet this year and incur the corresponding costs, and because of the impressive nature of our applicants, our board decided to award four $2,000 scholarships. The winners are Alex Hardgrave and Noelle Friel, of Indiana University, Shannon McCloskey, of Ball State University, and Taylor Woods, of the University of Indianapolis.

We expect to have more information about how we plan to distribute awards plaques and certificates at a later date. The Indiana Pro Chapter wishes all winners across the state a hearty congratulations. We deeply appreciate the work you are doing in service of your communities, especially during this unprecedented global pandemic. 

We look forward to gathering again next year to celebrate the Best of Indiana Journalism.

You can download the entire winner's list here.

Best in Indiana Contest Winners: 2018

Reporters from the South Bend Tribune, WFYI Public Media and an Indiana University student took home top honors in the chapter’s 2018 Best in Indiana journalism contest, while students from Indiana University and Franklin College received the chapter’s college scholarships.

WFYI Public Media Side Effects teammates Lauren Bavis, Araceli Gomez-Aldana, Jake Harper and Emily Forman were selected as Indiana Journalists of the Year for healthcare and medical reporting that highlighted the human costs of Indiana’s opioid crisis as well as the danger women of color face giving birth.

Christian Sheckler, of the South Bend Tribune, and Ken Armstrong, of Propublica, won Story of the Year for their investigation into the Elkhart Police Department, which revealed disciplinary problems that led to the chief's resignation, charges against two officers and an independent investigation.

Laurel Demkovich, of Indiana University, was named Student Journalist of the Year in recognition of her work at The Indiana Daily Student. Judges said her work should be something all student journalists strive for.

Other top winners include Tom McClanahan of WTWO-TV receiving the Slaymaker Service to Journalism Award.

Congratulations to all the winners from across the state for their outstanding broadcast, print and online journalism. You can download the entire winner's list here and share it.

Proceeds from the Best in Indiana contest help fund the chapter’s college scholarship program. The two winners of $2,500 scholarships for the 2019-20 school year are Lydia Gerike of Indiana University and Emily Ketterer of Franklin College.

The awards were presented April 26 during the chapter’s annual awards banquet.

Best in Indiana Contest Winners: 2017

Three reporters from The Indianapolis Star and a Ball State University student are the top winners in the chapter’s 2017 Best in Indiana contest, while students from Indiana University and Ball State received the chapter’s college scholarships.

Indianapolis Star reporter Mark Alesia was selected as the Indiana Journalist of the Year for work including investigations into how USA Gymnastics responded to reports of sexual abuse by coaches and doctors and the state’s financial troubles surrounding the Interstate 69 extension project between Bloomington and Martinsville.

Tim Evans and Ryan Martin of The Indianapolis Star won the Story of the Year award for their series of stories investigating how an Indianapolis drug gang was able to intimidate witnesses and how little the city spent on protecting witnesses.

Casey Smith of Ball State University was named Student Journalist of the Year in recognition of her work at The Ball State Daily News, National Geographic and USA Today.

Other top winners include Malcolm Abrams of Bloom Magazine receiving the Slaymaker Service to Journalism Award and Tony Cook of The Indianapolis Star receiving the First Amendment Award.

Congratulations to all the winners from across the state for their outstanding broadcast, print and online journalism. You can download the complete list of winners here and share it.

Proceeds from the Best in Indiana contest help fund the chapter’s college scholarship program. The two winners of $2,500 scholarships for the 2018-19 school year are Emily Abshire of Indiana University and Esther Bower of Ball State University.

The awards were presented April 27 during the chapter’s annual awards banquet.

Best In Indiana Contest Winners: 2016

An Associated Press reporter, an Indianapolis Star team and a Purdue University student are the top winners in the chapter’s 2016 Best in Indiana contest.

Associated Press Statehouse reporter Brian Slodysko was selected as the Indiana Journalist of the Year for work including investigations into state payments to one of then-Gov. Mike Pence’s top aides during the presidential campaign and the misuse of campaign money by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marlin Stutzman.

Mark Alesia, Tim Evans and Marisa Kwiatkowski of The Indianapolis Star won the Story of the Year award for their investigation into failures by Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics over many years to alert law enforcement about alleged sexual abuse by coaches.

Charlotte Tuggle from Purdue University was named Student Journalist of the Year in recognition of her work at public radio station WBAA.

Congratulations to all the winners from across the state for their outstanding broadcast, print and online journalism. You can download the complete list of winners here and share it.

Proceeds from the Best in Indiana contest help fund the chapter’s college scholarship program. The two winners of $2,500 scholarships for the 2017-18 school year are Kaitlyn Kendall from the University of Indianapolis and Sarah Bahr of IUPUI.

The awards were presented April 21 during the chapter’s annual awards banquet.

2015 Contest Winners

Congratulations to all the winners in SPJ’s Best in Indiana contest.

We’re truly proud of all the amazing work our fellow Hoosier journalists have done and thrilled that so many of you could join us at the annual awards dinner to be honored.

We’d love to list all the winners here, but there are just way too many! But you can download the list of the winners and share them!

Congrats again to all the winners and everyone who entered.

2013 Winners

Congratulations to all the winners in SPJ’s Best in Indiana contest.

We’re truly proud of all the amazing work our fellow Hoosier journalists have done and thrilled that so many of you could join us at the annual awards dinner to be honored.

We’d love to list all the winners here, but there are just way too many! But you can download a PDF of the winners and share them!

Congrats again to all the winners and everyone who entered.