2026 Goldsmith Prize Nominations Now Open!

Announcement

November 26, 2025

Nominations Open for 2026 Goldsmith awards

Submit your investigative or explanatory reporting by January 5, 2026, and books by December 18, 2025!

The Goldsmith Awards, administered by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, highlight the essential role of a free press in a healthy democracy. The awards honor excellence in journalism that fosters more insightful debate and public understanding about government, politics and public policy in the United States.

WHY APPLY?

Each judged category offers substantial cash prizes ranging from $5,000 – $25,000, given directly to the authors, producers, or reporting teams.

Honorees for the reporting prizes come from all kinds of organizations: from legacy newspapers to digital natives; from nationally-renowned broadcast networks to reporters working on a shoestring at a tiny local paper. Documentary films and podcasts are also eligible for both reporting prizes. Judges consider each entry on its own merits – even if you’ve never considered entering a journalism prize before, we strongly encourage you to apply!

Winners and finalists will be honored at a ceremony at Harvard on April 16, 2026, and their accomplishments are promoted widely.

The Goldsmith Awards are FREE to enter! Organizations may submit up to 2 entries for the investigative prize, up to 5 entries for the explanatory prize, and unlimited submissions for the book prize!

Learn more about the criteria for each prize and find guides for preparing your submissions:

Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting
Goldsmith Prize for Explanatory Reporting
Goldsmith Book Prize

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Recent Announcements

April 3, 2025

Katey Rusch and Casey Smith Win 2025 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting

Katey Rusch and Casey Smith are the winners of the 2025 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for their two-part series “Right to Remain Secret,” published by The San Francisco Chronicle in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program. Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs unveiled the winner of the prize live at the Goldsmith Awards Ceremony on April 3rd in the JFK Jr.

March 13, 2025

Announcing the winner of the inaugural Goldsmith Prize for Explanatory Reporting 

The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is pleased to announce that The Washington Post’s Opinions series “Who is Government?” is the winner of the inaugural Goldsmith Prize for Explanatory Reporting. The prize will be awarded at the 2025 Goldsmith Awards ceremony on April 3 at the JFK Jr.