Alaska Press Club and the A-Mark Foundation have teamed up to create the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting in Alaska with cash awards totaling $15,000.

Announcing the A-Mark winners for reporting done in 2024.

Congratulations!

• Third Place: Nat Herz for Alaska Public Media for “This oil platform stopped pumping 30 years ago. Alaska still won’t make the owner tear it down.”
• Second Place: Claire Stremple of the Alaska Beacon for “False citations show Alaska education official relied on generative AI, raising broader questions”
• First Place: Kyle Hopkins of the Anchorage Daily News for “Hundreds of people charged with domestic violence, child abuse or DUIs are walking free in Anchorage”

The prizes are:

• First place: $5,000 for the journalist(s), plus $2,500 for the newsroom
• Second place: $3,000 for the journalist(s), plus $1,500 for the newsroom
• Third place: $2,000 for the journalist(s), plus $1,000 for the newsroom.

The contest for the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting is open to all journalists and all news organizations in Alaska. (See details below.) This competition takes place as part of the annual Alaska Press Club Awards, a competition among Alaska print, radio, TV and digital journalism outlets. The A-Mark Foundation (amarkfoundation.org) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 1997.

Entries must have been published or aired during 2024 (Jan. 1 – Dec. 31, 2024). Submissions may include a single story or a series of up to five pieces that expose a wrong, clarify a problem, or promote greater understanding in the public interest. Entries should include a 500-word (maximum) supporting statement outlining the work’s significance and impact, using the contest criteria as a guide.

2025 CONTEST CRITERIA

This award will recognize excellence in investigative reporting. For this contest, investigative reporting will be defined as the development of information about government, organizations, businesses, institutions or individuals that is not readily available to journalists and requires exceptional skill and effort by the journalist. In many cases, the subjects of the reporting wish the matters under scrutiny to remain undisclosed. Information should be presented in a way that gives readers understanding and insight into subject matter that is not generally known to the public. Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• Demonstrates the work is the result of the journalist’s own initiative and effort.
• Uncovers facts that someone or some agency may have tried to keep from public scrutiny.
• Addresses issues of public importance to the readers, viewers or listeners
• Shows enterprise and excellence in documentation, data, storytelling, production, online presentation, and reader or viewer involvement where appropriate.
• Results.

The contest is open to print, broadcast and online entries with an Alaska connection. An “Alaska connection” means one or both of the following: (1) The winning reporter is based in Alaska; or (2) The newspaper or media outlet is based in Alaska. In other words, a reporter who writes for the New York Times but is based in Fairbanks would qualify under criteria 1. A reporter who lives in Oregon but writes for the Anchorage Daily News would qualify based on criteria 2.

Work entered may be the result of a collaboration between a local news organization/s and a news organization/s outside of Alaska. This award favors spreading recognition among different individuals and news organizations; it will be uncommon for an individual to win first prize two years in a row.

A Partnership with A-Mark Foundation

Investigative reporters often uncover the stories that shape our communities, but the process requires time, effort, and resources—commodities many Alaska newsrooms lack.

To address this challenge, the Alaska Press Club and the A-Mark Foundation are launching the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting in Alaska. This new award will grant $15,000 in total prizes to honor investigative journalism that exposes wrongdoing, fosters accountability, or promotes understanding of critical issues unique to Alaska.

“The A-Mark Foundation hopes that our grants will lead to increased recognition and support for investigative journalists across the United States,” says A-Mark senior VP Tracey DeFrancesco. “We noticed that most state-level journalism awards did not have a cash prize, and we hope that providing a monetary award to both reporters and their publishing outlets will enable more important articles to be written.”

Empowering Alaska’s Newsrooms

When the A-Mark Foundation reached out to collaborate, the Alaska Press Club emphasized the importance of also supporting newsrooms, not just individual journalists. The result is a contest that rewards both investigative excellence and the organizations that make such work possible.

“Ultimately, our goal is to reward journalists for excellent work and get more eyes on the winning pieces,” DeFrancesco says. “The Foundation aims to encourage more fearless journalism that addresses critical issues.”

The Details

The A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting in Alaska will recognize exceptional investigative journalism by individuals or teams. Submissions may include a single story or a series of up to five pieces that expose a wrong, clarify a problem, or promote greater understanding in the public interest. 

For more than 70 years, the Alaska Press Club has supported journalists across the state through continuing education, awards, and events. This contest, made possible by the A-Mark Foundation, represents a new milestone in fostering investigative excellence in the 49th state.

Winners will be announced at the Alaska Press Club’s annual awards celebration during its 2025 conference in Anchorage. If winners can’t attend in person, prizes will be mailed

For questions, email us at alaskapressclubinfo@gmail.com.