HEARST JOURNALISM AWARDS ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT SCHOLARSHIP INCREASES FOR THE 2026-2027 COMPETITION YEAR

San Francisco – The Hearst Foundations are significantly increasing commitment to the future of journalism through substantial scholarship increases to students and universities competing in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program.

Beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, the Hearst Foundations will provide up to $1 million in annual support through scholarships, grants, and stipends for winning journalism students and accredited undergraduate journalism programs at universities in the United States.

Scholarship increases in the 14 monthly competitions and matching grants to schools:

First Place $5,000 up from $4,000
Second Place $4,000 up from $2,000
Third Place $3,000 up from $1,500
Fourth Place $2,000 up from $1,000
Fifth Place $1,000

Championship increases:

First Place $15,000 up from $10,000
Second Place $8,000 up from $7,500
Third Place $6,000 up from $5,000
Finalists $3,000 up from $1,500

Paul “Dino” Dinovitz, Hearst Foundations co- executive director, remarked, “This significant increase of awards was established to encourage participation in our program and provide a boost to future journalists and journalism schools at this important time.”

Now in its 67th year, the Hearst Journalism Awards Program was created to encourage and support excellence in journalism and education. The program offers monthly competitions in writing, photojournalism, audio, podcast, television and multimedia. Top winners in all categories will compete in the National Championship Finals for additional scholarship awards.

Distinguished journalists from publishing, broadcast and digital news organizations volunteer their time and expertise in judging the monthly entries and the work produced at the Championships.

Established by William Randolph Hearst in 1948, the Hearst Foundations support educational and charitable causes across the country. Since the inception, the Hearst Foundations have granted more than $1.6 billion to organizations advancing education, health, social services, and culture nationwide.

The Hearst Journalism Awards Program is conducted with the support of the accredited schools of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC).