SFJ Excellence-in-Features Awards

The annual Excellence-in-Features journalism contest is a celebration of the craft of storytelling on a variety of platforms. SFJ awards prizes in a variety of categories, including narrative story, food criticism, visual storytelling, features beat portfolio, first-person narrative/essay and inclusion and representation.

The 2026 contest is now open for submissions! Visit our blog or see below for details.

2026 Contest Information

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SFJ’s 2026 Excellence-in-Features contest is open for submissions!
2026 contest, SFJ contest
SFJ’s 2026 Excellence-in-Features contest is open for submissions!
2026 contest, SFJ contest

The 2026 Excellence-in-Features journalism contest celebrates the craft of storytelling in a variety of formats. Early bird rate of $50 per entry is $10 cheaper than the regular rate. Stories must have been published in 2025. There are 20 categories and 3 divisions.

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2026 contest, SFJ contest

Past Winners

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Division 1 winners of SFJ 2025 Excellence-in-Features journalism awards

Here are the winners in Division 1 of SFJ’s 2025 Excellence-in-Features journalism contest! First-place winners receive $300.

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Division 2 winners of SFJ 2025 Excellence-in-Features journalism awards

Here are the winners in Division 2 of SFJ’s 2025 Excellence-in-Features journalism contest! First-place winners receive $300.

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Division 3, Combined winners of SFJ 2025 Excellence-in-Features journalism awards

Here are the winners in Division 3 and the Combined division of SFJ’s 2025 Excellence-in-Features journalism contest! First-place winners receive $300.

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Division 3, combined category winners of SFJ 2024 Excellence-in-Features journalism awards

Winners from the largest circulation publications and from digital-only organizations in the 2024 SFJ Excellence-in-Features journalism contest.

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