Nominations are now being accepted for the 2026 Red Smith Award, the Associated Press Sports Editors organization’s highest honor, given annually to someone who has “made major contributions to sports journalism.”
The nomination process and voting are open to Red Smith Award winners, APSE past presidents, APSE national officers, 10-year APSE members, and alumni members who belonged to APSE for at least 15 years. An email was sent to eligible voters; if you did not receive it but believe you are eligible, please email Red Smith Award chairman Matt Pepin at matt.pepin@globe.com.
If you don’t meet the nomination/voting criteria but have someone in mind you think is worthy of this recognition, please reach out to Pepin via email to ask that a candidate be considered by APSE leadership. We’re looking to make the candidate pool as robust, diverse, and inclusive as possible, so please let us know if there’s someone you know who should be on the radar.
APSE is also encouraging eligible nominators to consider candidates who may have had a significant local impact but perhaps are not as well known nationally. Many dedicated sports journalists have spent their entire careers in one location or region, providing essential local coverage, mentoring less experienced or up-and-coming sports journalists, and serving as an essential resource in their communities.
Last year, Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post was the winner. The next five highest vote-getters, who automatically return to the 2026 ballot, were Mark Whicker, Hal Bodley, Garry D. Howard, Dan Shaughnessy, and Terry Pluto.
Nominations are due by Feb. 23, and voting will run from Feb. 23 to March 10. The winner will be announced shortly after the voting period concludes.
