Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced that Jim Provenzano, Arts & Nightlife Editor for the Bay Area Reporter, is the 2026 recipient of the Lisa Ben Award for Achievement in Features Coverage. The award will be presented at NLGJA’s annual national convention in San Francisco, September 10 to 13.
Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced that the San Francisco Bay Times is the 2026 recipient of the Legacy Award. This award recognizes an outlet, publication or news organization that has exhibited innovative, high-quality and sustained news coverage of the LGBTQ+ community over an extended period of time.
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced today that Michael D. Bolden, UC Berkeley School of Journalism Dean and professor, will receive the 2026 NLGJA Leadership Award. The award recognizes individuals who have made a positive impact on their newsrooms by increasing diversity and improving news coverage of the LGBTQ+ community. Bolden will be honored at NLGJA’s annual National Convention, taking place in San Francisco Sept. 10-13.
Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced the members of the 2026 CONNECT: Student Journalism Training Project cohort. The ten students selected for the annual CONNECT Project will cover the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists National Convention in San Francisco from Sept. 10-13. The student participants are Luis Castaneda, Eliot Faine, Apolline Lamy, Fatima B. Jalloh, Tiera Williams, Jazmin Loranne Chapman, Annika Hauer, Aubree Miller, Anne-Elise Tidwell, and Mary Rasura.
What happens when journalists turn the spotlight on themselves? Lifetime member and former board member Senta Scarborough is directing a new documentary telling NLGJA’s story for the first time. Scarborough and their team, including students from East Tennessee State University, traveled the country interviewing founders, early members, and staff, capturing the bravery it took to launch the association during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A 30-minute short edit premieres at this year’s NLGJA Convention, with a full-length feature to follow. For Scarborough, the film is only the beginning: a book and educational curriculum are already in the works.
Today, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists announced the recipients of its 2026 Excellence in Journalism Awards, recognizing exemplary reporting produced in 2025. Lydia Polgreen was named the Journalist of the Year. The Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for the LGBTQ+ Journalist of the Year was awarded to Evan Urquhart. Rachel Ward, Mark Kelley, Grant LaFleche, Matthew Pierce, Ryan Ferguson and Jonathan Castell were awarded the Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism for their work on “The Fifth Estate: The Shadow War on Libraries.”
This year, if saying “Happy Pride” feels difficult, think about the road we’ve traveled, the victories we’ve earned, and the resilience that has carried us forward. Celebrate yourself, and celebrate all the journalists who have stood up for you and for our community since 1990. Our track record is strong; when we inform our readers, listeners, and viewers with facts and accurate representation, it makes a difference.
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is excited to participate in the annual Give OUT Day on Thursday, June 4th. Give OUT Day, a nationwide grassroots giving event organized by GiveMN, has raised millions for organizations across the country.
The Curve Fellowship for Emerging Journalists was created to recognize and support emerging journalistic writers who are focused on raising the visibility of LGBTQ+ women and nonbinary people. Standout recipients do so by telling the stories and elevating the voices of lesbians, queer women, trans people, and nonbinary people.
NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is pleased to announce that Good Morning America weekend co-anchor Gio Benitez will be awarded the 2026 NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Randy Shilts Award at the association’s upcoming Headlines & Headliners New York benefit event.