Podcast, video, social media winners of 2026 SFJ Excellence-in-Features journalism awards
The Society for Features Journalism is thrilled to celebrate another extraordinary year of storytelling excellence as we announce the winners of the 2026 SFJ Excellence-in-Features Contest!
This year, journalists from across the industry delivered work that informed, inspired, challenged and connected with audiences in powerful ways. The response to the contest was remarkable: Once again, we received close to 1,000 entries.
Several categories saw especially strong participation. Our General Feature (1,000–2,500 words) category attracted 100 entries across its three divisions, with General Feature (2,500+ words) drawing 93 entries, underscoring the enduring strength of long-form narrative journalism and feature writing across newsrooms of every size.
This year, 60 judges representing a wide range of journalism backgrounds generously volunteered their expertise and time to evaluate entries. We were honored to welcome many longtime returning judges and an outstanding group of new judges, whose thoughtful evaluations helped ensure a rigorous and rewarding competition.
To everyone who entered, judged, supported and championed feature journalism throughout the year: Thank you. Your work continues to demonstrate the power of compelling storytelling and the essential role it plays in our profession and our communities.
Congratulations to all of this year's winners! We are proud to recognize your achievements and celebrate the very best in features journalism.
The following are the winners in our Combined Division category.
Click here to see Division 1 winners. | Click here to see Division 2 winners. | Click here to see Division 3 winners.
COMBINED DIVISION
PODCAST – NARRATIVE
An episodic audio story on any lifestyle or cultural topic using narrative techniques that include, but are not limited to, character development, narrative arc and a sense of place.
First place: Olivia Carville, Margi Murphy and Julia Nutter, Bloomberg, “Levittown”
Judge’s comments: It's easy to sensationalize the dramas and victims of online porn. This podcast never does that, choosing instead to gratify the victims with a calm, global investigation of unwanted online visages that always felt purposeful and, at times, cathartic. The way the podcast deftly explores and explains the reasons that people post damaging sexual material online lifts it to another level. And, as good journalism does, the podcast explains our moment in history without ever explicitly saying that. A note: This podcast excels despite the ill juxtaposition of the embedded ads on Spotify, which often advertised companies that were criticized in this exploration of online porn. Distributors – and capitalism – are so clueless.
Second place: Staff, Public Health Watch, “Fumed”
Judge’s comments: Good editors will hammer this point home: A great story needs great characters. This one succeeds in that, probing the problem of a chemically contaminated portion of Houston by unfolding the history and effects of the poison through characters who feel like they could have been divined by Larry McMurtry or Cormac McCarthy. It’s weird to state, but much of the enjoyment of this podcast is hearing these characters discuss terrible situations. A strange but rare quality.
Third place: Staff, The Outlaw Ocean Project, “Season 2: A War on Migration”
Judge’s comments: Strange is the journalism that offers little or no new reporting or facts yet exists as a captivating and educational report on our society. This looks back at the entangled rise of the internet with the apparent degradation of humanity summarizes what we all discuss or contemplate while offering bits of enlightenment along the way.
Honorable mention: Garrett Graff, Ryan Sweikert and John Patrick Pullen, Long Lead, “Long Shadow: Breaking the Internet”
NARRATIVE VIDEO
A single video no longer than 5 minutes on any lifestyle or cultural topic that embodies the narrative style, using techniques such as character development, use of dialogue, sense of place and narrative arc.
First place: Andre Malok, NJ.com, “Sand Tiger Shark Bites Fisherman at Cape May Beach”
Judge’s comments: This is a confident piece of video journalism that pulls in viewers by opening with the shark attack, then takes them back four hours earlier to build tension. Strong cinematography and shot variety make Cape May come alive on the screen and bring readers into the dramatic incident.
Second place: Andre Malok and S.P. Sullivan, NJ.com, “Beavers: Villains or Superheroes?”
Judge’s comments: A genuinely inventive take on nature storytelling that uses humor and a clever structural conceit to keep viewers engaged. The creative risk pays off – and the video made this judge laugh and even learn something about these industrious creatures.
Third place: Sean Meagher, The (Portland, Ore.) Oregonian, “Brett Hollins Brings Basketball Inside the Walls at Snake River Correctional Institution”
Judge’s comments: This entry tackles meaningful subject matter and puts a compelling central character at its heart, allowing Brett Hollins to tell his own story in his own words. The authenticity is real, and the subject matter leaves a lasting impression.
SOCIAL MEDIA PORTFOLIO
Great storytelling published on news organizations’ social media platforms – such as TikTok, X, Instagram and YouTube – using elements such as video, audio, graphics and photography.
First place: Staff, NBC News, “Auschwitz: 80 Years Later”
Judge’s comments: This entry shows that a deeply emotional historical story will resonate – whether it's on your large-screen TV or in vertical-video form on your phone. What elevates this entry is how the journey of Auschwitz survivors to the former death camp is presented as a four-part TikTok series, and each post gained more views than the last – with the final one reaching 7.9 million views. The intentionality to connect with this audience is appreciated, as is the empathy and care that went into the reporting process. This is a great example of how to translate the power of television video production to social media audiences.
Second place: Staff, The Baltimore Banner, “The Baltimore Banner Instagram”
Judge’s comments: The Baltimore Banner showcases effective social video explanatory storytelling. Each of the three well-executed entries is different. One is data- and math-driven, with helpful animated graphics. One inserts a comedic element – reporting from a bubble bath – to keep the viewer’s attention on the topic of a looming foreclosure crisis. Another story plays out through text, interviews and police body-cam clips.
Third place: Samantha Swindler and Vickie Connor, The (Portland, Ore.) Oregonian, “The Oregonian’s and OregonLive's Social Media Feeds”
Judge’s comments: If I could give this entry a theme, it would be “It’s giving Oregon.” The TikTok series on the state’s smallest cities effectively combines graphics and interviews to capture the essence of the towns and their people. The video of the mall walkers is hilarious and fun, and the drone footage in the Drake Peak story is breathtaking. These entries offer great peeks into Oregon life.
Honorable mention: Jensen Rubinstein, Long Lead, “The Age of Incarceration”
