About
The American Academy of Religion honors the best in-depth reporting on religion through our Journalism Awards, a program of the AAR’s Committee on the Public Understanding of Religion. View a list of past winners and sample articles.
Awards are given in the following two categories:
- Best In-Depth Newswriting
- Best In-Depth Multimedia Journalism
An entry fee of $25 (USD) is required for each submission.
Eligibility
- Membership in the American Academy of Religion is not required.
- Applicants may only submit to one of the two award categories in any given year.
- Reporting must have been published during the previous calendar year, January 1 through December 31.
- Applicants must be the lead contributor on all submissions: multiple bylines or credits are acceptable, provided that the contestant identifies the multi-authored submission, and demonstrates that they did most of the reporting.
- Eligible submissions should adhere to journalist standards of editorial independence.
- Non-English language reporting is acceptable if translated into English. Copies of the original reporting must be included with the submission.
- Reporting as part of a series is acceptable.
Criteria
Best In-Depth Newswriting
- Written news articles, columns, editorials, and other reporting in any published medium of any audience/market size.
- Up to three (3) submissions are accepted per entry.
Best In-Depth Multimedia Journalism
- Broadcast, radio, podcast, interactives, or other multimedia news media distributed for any audience or market size.
- Submissions include religion reporting that utilizes audio, visual, or other digital technologies to tell stories about religion.
- News commentary or opinion is not eligible.
- Up to three (3) submission packages are accepted per entry, each defined as a single act of reporting inclusive of print and media files.
- The total of the three (3) packages is not to exceed 60 minutes.
Submission Instructions
The nomination submission process consists of two (2) steps:
Step 1: Submit $25.00 Payment
Payment must be submitted via an online form. Once the payment has been made, you will be provided with a link to the AAR Award Nominations Portal for Step 2.
Step 2: Complete a nomination form and upload submission materials
The nomination materials required for each of the award categories must be submitted as follows:
- Best In-Depth Newswriting: Entries must be submitted as a single PDF or Doc file.
- Best In-Depth Multimedia Journalism: Entries must be submitted using stable URLs.
Nomination items must not be behind paywalls.
Please note that both steps of the submission process must be completed for a nomination to be eligible for consideration.
Late, emailed, or incomplete payments, nomination forms or materials cannot be accepted.
Selection Process
Each award is evaluated by a jury of two current or former journalists, and a member of the AAR’s Committee on the Public Understanding of Religion, who serves as chair of both juries.
For each award, winners are determined by jury consensus.
The juries will confer awards only when the nominations received are of high quality. Reporting for the general public is preferred.
Both juries will use a five-point scale (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor) to evaluate the following criteria:
- Reporting should consist of a historical, explanatory, or contextual approach to the subject matter while integrating a depth and breadth of academic research or scholars as sources.
- The reporting, which may address any topic should advance the understanding of religious issues in the public sphere.
- It should communicate effectively to various publics either across traditions or broadly within a single tradition.
- It should represent exemplary use of the medium’s tools to advance the public understanding of religion.
- In alignment with the American Academy of Religion’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, submissions will also be evaluated on their reflection of these values in content, authorship, and audience.
Award winners are typically announced in June.
Questions
For questions, please contact awards@aarweb.org.
2024 Award Recipient
Aparna Gopalan, news editor of Jewish Currents
First place for in-Depth Newswriting. Gopalan’s submission examines the way Hindu nationalist groups have adopted techniques developed by pro-Israel activists to portray criticism as a form of bigotry. The jury was struck by the depth of Gopalan’s reporting, which offers an extraordinary window into the role of religious groups in public debate.
Example of winning work: The Hindu Nationalists Using the Pro-Israel Playbook
Andrew Gill , a producer who has worked for WBEZ, PRX, and Love+Radio.
First place for In-Depth Multimedia Journalism. Gill’s submission was taken from the podcast series he co-hosted with Dr. Leah Payne about the influence of Christian music on American public life. The jury was struck by the way the submission crafts a compelling story, centered on vivid experiences, that connects economics, politics, and religion.
Example of winning work: Punk Rock Prophets (Episode 2 of Rock That Doesn’t Roll: The Story of Christian Music)
Leah Sottile's work appears in The Washington Post, The New York Times Magazine, Playboy, and elsewhere.
Second place for in-Depth Newswriting. Sottile’s submission explores the significance of Our Lady of the Rockies, a statue in Butte, Montana, that uses religious imagery to symbolize women’s power. The jury appreciated the way Sottile unpacks her central example to consider broader questions about religion and public life – in connection with sex work, the labor movement, and Indigenous spirituality.
Example of winning work: The 90-foot sentinel of Butte, Montana
Jenna Barnett, senior associate culture editor at Sojourners
Second place for In-Depth Multimedia Journalism. Barnett submitted episodes of a podcast series that she produced, wrote, and edited about sexual abuse perpetrated by the spiritual leader Jean Vanier. The jury commended Barnett’s use of interviews and clips from multiple sources to reflect on religion as a source of comfort, pain, and empowerment.
Example of winning work: Origin Stories (Episode 2 of Lead Us Not)
Sarah Stankorb's work appears in The Washington Post Magazine, The New York Times, Vogue, and elsewhere.
Third place for in-Depth Newswriting. Stankorb’s submission included an extended article about the history of sexual abuse within the Southern Baptist Church, focusing on the work of one survivor, Christa Brown. In the jury’s view, Stankorb provides a sensitive account of advocates who demand that religious leaders live up to the values they profess.
Example of winning work: The Southern Baptist Church Ignored Its Abuse Crisis. She Exposed It.
David Washburn - director/producer of Three Chaplains
Third place for for In-Depth Multimedia Journalism. Washburn submitted a documentary film that follows the work of three Muslim chaplains in the US military. The jury particularly appreciated the submission’s sophisticated use of personal moments to consider larger questions about prejudice, patriotism, and religious diversity.
Example of winning work: Three Chaplains