EWA Announces Finalists for 2025 National Awards for Education Reporting
For the full list of finalists, click here.
April 6, 2026 (WASHINGTON, DC)—The Education Writers Association is pleased to announce the category finalists for the 2025 National Awards for Education Reporting, recognizing the top education journalism in the United States.
The 2025 finalists covered a wide range of local, regional, and national issues from preschool through higher education – including accountability journalism focused on student learning, health, and safety, the impact of immigration enforcement on school communities, and the effects of massive staffing and research cuts at the U.S. Department of Education.
Fifty-four entrants were named as finalists in 17 awards categories. The category winners will be announced on June 3 at EWA’s 79th National Seminar in Baltimore. Each category award comes with a $750 prize.
Additionally, EWA will honor the top winners during the 2026 National Seminar: The Ronald Moskowitz Prize for Outstanding Beat Reporting comes with $2,500, and the Fred M. Hechinger Grand Prize for Distinguished Education Reporting comes with $5,000.
Judges selected category awards finalists from among 349 eligible entries for the 17 awards categories. The competition was independently judged by nearly 100 current and former editors and reporters, many of whom are past recipients of prestigious journalism awards from EWA and other organizations.
EWA would like to thank everyone who entered the competition and express our deep gratitude to the busy professionals who volunteered hours and hours of their time to evaluate this year’s many fine entries.
