The Portland chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association is excited to announce the 2026 AAJA Portland Diversity and Inclusion Awards! 

These awards will recognize the best journalism published during 2025 about issues that disproportionately affect people of color or other under-resourced groups in Oregon and/or Southwest Washington.

Deadline to enter: Friday, May 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.

Each award comes with a cash prize of $150 for both students and professionals. Judges will look over submissions throughout May, and winners will be announced and recognized at an awards ceremony in early June.

Cost to enter: Free! However, donations are greatly appreciated as we continue to support our internships and future endeavors as a chapter.

Entrants submit links to their work. If your submission is at a publication or outlet with a paywall, entrants must also send a Google Doc with an attached PDF under ‘Additional URLs’ so judges can easily access your work.

If you have any trouble with submitting your stories, email us at portland@aaja.org.

Submit links to your work produced in 2025: 

bit.ly/AAJA-Portland-Awards-2026

Contest guidelines

Who’s eligible: Journalists who have covered issues in Oregon and/or Washington’s Clark County, including student journalists, except 2026 AAJA Portland board members. 

Judges will select one winner and one student winner* in each category. Judges may choose not to make an award.

*All creators with a byline or listed as a contributor must have been students at the time the work was created. Work from internships in professional newsrooms is acceptable, as long as the creator was a student or created the work during an internship that began within three months of graduating.

Award categories

AAPI Communities: This award recognizes journalism that illuminates and centers on the complexity and humanity of Asian American, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities and experiences.

Arts, Food, Sports and Culture: This award recognizes journalism in arts, food, sports, culture and entertainment journalism, including but not limited to features, investigations, profiles and reviews.

Business and Economics: This award recognizes journalism around business and economic topics and issues, with a focus on depth and impact.

Environment, Health and Science: This award recognizes journalism around scientific, environmental, and health topics and issues.

Politics: This award recognizes journalism around elections, campaigns, candidates and government, with a focus on depth and impact.

We are also pleased to launch new categories this year recognizing excellence in visual and audio storytelling:

Excellence in Photojournalism, Single Photo: This award recognizes a single photo that best captures the heart of a story, for news or features.

Excellence in Photojournalism, Photo Story: This award recognizes multiple photos that tell a single visual story, for news or features.

Excellence in Video Storytelling, Short-Form: This award recognizes video storytelling of a single video or segment that’s 10 minutes or less.

Excellence in Video Storytelling, Long-form: This award recognizes video storytelling of a single video or segment that exceeds 10 minutes.

Excellence in Social Video (2 minutes or less): This award recognizes video storytelling created for social media.

Excellence in Audio Storytelling, Short Form: This award recognizes audio storytelling of a single piece, segment or feature that’s 6 minutes or less.

Excellence in Audio Storytelling, Long-form: This award recognizes audio storytelling of a single piece, segment, feature or single podcast episode that exceeds 10 minutes.

If your submission qualifies for multiple categories, e.g., an AAPI communities story that is an audio piece, select both options. If you have any trouble with submitting your stories, email us at portland@aaja.org.

We are excited to celebrate our community’s amazing work!