FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCTOBER 30, 2020

NABJ Virtual Awards to Stream December 19

Lynn Whitfield, Tichina Arnold, Craig Melvin, Michelle Miller,

Kenneth Moton to Host

Cathy Hughes, Yamiche Alcindor, Pam Oliver, Rachel V, Scott, Rehema Ellis, Kevin Merida, Kimberly Godwin, Fred Sweets Among Honorees

WASHINGTON — Join the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) as the organization makes history again and hosts its first-ever virtual awards event on December 19, 2020 at 7 p.m. ET. Tickets for the event are free and available at https://nabj.digitalvirtualspaces.com/register.

The awards show, powered by FedEx , will kick off at 8 p.m. ET. It will be preceded by a pre-event reception at 7:30 p.m. ET. A post-event after-party with a live DJ will be held from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Tickets provide access to all three activities.

The hosts that will help NABJ recognize the winners of its 2020 Salute to Excellence Awards and pay tribute to our 2020 Special Honors recipients and Hall of Fame inductees are Lynn Whitfield, Emmy Award-winning actress; Craig Melvin, anchor of NBC News’ “TODAY”; Tichina Arnold, NAACP Image Award-winning actress; Michelle Miller , co-host of “CBS This Morning: Saturday”; and Kenneth Moton, co-anchor of “ABC World News Now” and “America This Morning.”

During the event, NABJ will also pay homage to Black journalists, media-related professionals, journalism and media educators, and journalism and media-related students who passed over the past year. NABJ is asking members and colleagues to submit those names and photos  here by November 11.

View the 2020 honorees and finalists below. Click the honoree’s name to learn more about them.

The 2020 NABJ Hall of Fame Inductees:

• Fred Sweets
• Pam Johnson
• Pam Oliver
• Mary Mitchell
• John McCaa
• Cathy Hughes
• Clarice Tinsley  

The 2020 NABJ Special Honors Recipients:

• Journalist of the Year: Yamiche Alcindor
• Michael J. Feeney Emerging Journalist of the Year: Rachel V. Scott
• Legacy Award: Rehema Ellis
• Chuck Stone Lifetime Achievement Award: Kevin Merida
• Journalist of Distinction:Elaine Houston
• Ida B. Wells Award: Kimberly Godwin
• Journalism Educators of the Year: Susan Mango Curtis and James McJunkins Sr.
• Angelo B. Henderson Community Service Award: Chelle Luper Wilson
• Patricia L. Tobin Media Professional Award: Ramona Logan
• Student Journalist of the Year:Arthur Cribbs
• Best Practices Award: The Trace
• Percy Qoboza Foreign Journalist Award:Mahmoud Hussein
• Student Chapter of the Year Finalists: University of North Texas-NABJ, Michigan State University Association of Black Journalists and University of South Carolina – NABJ
• Professional Chapter of the Year Finalists: Greater Cincinnati Association of Black Journalists, Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Black Journalists – Los Angeles, and South Florida Association of Black Journalists

Salute to Excellence Nominees Can Be Found by Clicking the Link for Each Main Category Below. Winners Will be Announced on December 19.

• Digital Media: View Nominees Here
• Digital Media – Graduate and Undergraduate: View Nominees Here
• Magazine – Over 1 Million: View Nominees Here 
• Magazine – Under 1 Million: View Nominees Here 
• Newspaper – National: View Nominees Here 
• Newspaper – Regional Over 100,000: View Nominees Here 
• Newspaper – Local Under 100,000: View Nominees Here 
• Newspaper- Graduate and Undergraduate: View Nominees Here 
• Photojournalism: View Nominees Here 
• Podcasts: View Nominees Here 
• PR & Marketing Campaigns: View Nominees Here 
• Radio – Network: View Nominees Here  
• Radio – Top 15 Markets: View Nominees Here  
• Radio – Market 16 and Below: View Nominees Here  
• Television – Network: View Nominees Here  
• Television – Top 15 Markets: View Nominees Here 
• Television – Market 16 And Below: View Nominees Here  
• Television – Graduate and Undergraduate: View Nominees Here 

Note: To ensure NABJ’s numerous honorees and award recipients are recognized during the course of the evening, some Salute to Excellence winner announcements will be made during the ceremony, while others will be made during the reception. Winners will also be announced via NABJ’s website. Please tune in to all platforms.

Salute to Excellence categories with no entries or nominees can be found here. 

-30-

• Tickets: https://nabj.digitalvirtualspaces.com/register
• Media Contact: press@nabj.org
• Awards Questions: awards@nabj.org
• Become a 2020 Awards Partner: partners@nabj.org