Miami (February 17, 2026) – The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) officially opens the call for entries for its 2026 Awards for Journalistic Excellence, recognizing outstanding work produced by media outlets and journalists from the Americas and Spain. The contest reaffirms the IAPA’s historic commitment to defending independent journalism, rigorous reporting, and innovation in storytelling.
The competition is open to content published in Spanish, English, or Portuguese between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, in newspapers, weeklies, magazines, news agencies, digital media, radio, and television. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2026.
This year introduces two new categories that reflect change and evolution in the news ecosystem. The Podcast category, sponsored by AFP, will recognize journalistic productions of up to 20 minutes that develop informative, investigative, or narrative public-interest content, with emphasis on factchecking, quality, and the creative use of sound language as a journalistic tool. The jury will especially value the clarity and coherence of the script, the appropriate use of sources and testimonies, the contextualization of the topic, and the responsible treatment of the people and events narrated. It will also consider the narrative and technical quality of the audio, as well as the format’s ability to deepen, explain, or provide new and diverse perspectives on the facts covered.
The other new category debuting this year is Inter American Journalism with an Equality Perspective, sponsored by the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM, for its Spanish acronym). It will honor coverage—across written, audiovisual, data, or multimedia formats—that addresses issues of inequality and discrimination with depth and context, avoids stigmatizing approaches, and contributes to an informed understanding of the social impact of these realities.
“The addition of these two categories reflects a clear conviction: journalism must continue expanding its formats while also deepening its focus on social inequalities,” said María Lorente, chair of IAPA’s Awards Committee. “The rise of podcasts demonstrates the enormous potential of sound storytelling to convey stories with depth and sensitivity, while Journalism with an Equality Perspective recognizes work that enriches public debate through an inclusive, evidence-based approach.”
Participation in the contest is open to all journalists and media outlets; IAPA membership is not required. To submit an entry, click here. You may also consult the contestant guide and tips on how to win an Award for Journalistic Excellence.
The 13 categories for the 2026 IAPA Awards for Journalistic Excellence are:
Call for entries and contestant guide.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.