Investigative journalism in Alaska is often a long game: hours of public records requests, months of reporting and the persistence to uncover information many would prefer remain hidden. To recognize and support that work, the Alaska Press Club and the A-Mark Foundation created the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting in Alaska, an award that distributes $15,000 to journalists and newsrooms across the state. Feb. 13, 2026 is the deadline to enter this competition or work completed in 2025.

The award honors reporting that exposes wrongdoing, clarifies complex problems or deepens public understanding of critical issues affecting Alaskans. The prize structure reflects that mission: each winning journalist receives a cash award, and their newsroom receives additional funding.
The inaugural prizes recognized three deeply reported stories from 2024. First place went to Kyle Hopkins of the Anchorage Daily News for his investigation revealing that hundreds of people charged with domestic violence, child abuse or DUIs in Anchorage were walking free.

“Alaska has some of the world’s best journalists – people who made me want to be a reporter and stay a reporter when times get lean, who are finding stories that would otherwise go untold, under some of the most challenging conditions anywhere,” Hopkins said. “I’ve always just wanted to be part of this team, so the validation feels really good.”

Claire Stremple of the Alaska Beacon earned second place for exposing the use of false citations and generative AI by a top Alaska education official. Third place went to Nat Herz of Northern Journal, whose reporting showed that an oil platform in Cook Inlet had sat idle for 30 years — and the state had yet to remove it.

“It’s pretty surreal to walk into the award ceremony, and then out with a $2,000 check,” Herz said. “I’ve certainly never experienced anything like that, and the idea that the work can feel like someone values it that much is a pretty cool thing to experience.”

The prize is open to any reporter based in Alaska; and, or newspaper or media outlets based in Alaska. Entries may be a single story or a series of up to five pieces, supported by documentation and a statement describing the work’s significance and impact. Submissions are judged on initiative, public importance, documentation, storytelling and results.

For the A-Mark Foundation, the award is part of a broader effort to support watchdog reporting in 30 states nationwide. For Alaska Press Club, it is a way to strengthen an essential part of Alaska’s media landscape and to help ensure that ambitious reporting continues.

“By investing in this kind of reporting, at a time when it’s harder than ever to make a living as a journalist, the A-Mark Prize can make the difference between making ends meet for any working journalist in Alaska,” Hopkins said.

The deadline to apply for the A-Mark Prize is Feb. 13, 2026. Reporting must have been published or broadcast in 2025.

Winners of the next A-Mark Prize will be announced April 18, 2026, at the Alaska Press Club Awards celebration in Anchorage.