MIAMI, Aug. 29, 2026 / — The Sunshine State Awards, Florida’s largest and longest-running statewide journalism competition, has announced its 2026 honorees, recognizing outstanding work produced in 2025. The awards were presented this evening at a ceremony held at ArtServe Fort Lauderdale.
The competition’s top award is the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting, supported by a grant from the A-Mark Foundation. The prize celebrates the essential role of investigative journalism in holding power to account, promoting transparency, and empowering citizens in a democratic society. A total of $15,000 in cash prizes was awarded to the following recipients:
- First Place: The Investigative Team of the Miami Herald and WLRN News, for their series Brightline, Florida’s Killer Train
- Second Place: Michael Barfield & Derek Gilliam, of Suncoast Searchlight and Florida Trident, for their series Sarasota County Stormwater Investigation
- Third Place: Nichole Manna and Casey Frank, of The Florida Trib, for their series “Cold-Blooded”: How a Florida prosecutor fixed a ‘weak’ case using a liar and 3 jailhouse snitches to send a man to Death Row
In addition to the A-Mark Prize and other special recognitions, journalists were honored across seven divisions:
- Print and Digital Writing
- Photography and Design
- Television and Video
- Radio and Audio
- Digital
- Spanish Language
- Students
View the full list of 2026 winners.
SPJ Florida presents the Sunshine State Awards in collaboration with the South Florida chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists. The program has celebrated excellence in journalism since 1994, with entries judged by professionals and educators from outside the Florida market. Net proceeds are reinvested into training, programming, and advocacy for journalists.
The competition is open to professional print, broadcast, and online journalists in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as out-of-state journalists who report on Florida. The Student Division welcomes entries from college and university students in Florida, with a dedicated category for high school journalists.
The 2027 Sunshine State Awards will open for entries in February.
SOURCE SPJ Florida Pro Chapter
