There is no entry fee.

Entries must be received by 11:59 PM EST on Friday, March 13, 2026.

Entries must be for work published in print, presented online, or broadcast (including podcasts) during 2025 by a media outlet based in the United States or its territories.

Journalists may apply directly or be nominated.

Submissions with joint bylines are accepted.

Entries must be submitted on behalf of a journalist or journalists, not an organization.

Transcripts are required for all video and audio submissions.

Digital content must be accessible outside any paywall. If a paywall cannot be avoided, provide a simple username and password for judges.

The prizes recognize reportorial excellence—resourcefulness, insight, brevity, and quality of writing. Commentaries will not be considered.

For the Presidency Prize, reporting should address:

• how the President exercises leadership, sets policy, makes decisions, initiates programs, and responds to events;

• reliance on Cabinet and senior staff;

• the structure and functioning of White House operations.

For the National Defense Prize, reporting should address:

• leadership and national security issues;

• Department of Defense and military operations;

• unconventional threats and targets;

• defense resource management and military preparedness;

• international arms control.

Qualified entries must include the following PDFs:

• Four to five articles or stories representing the candidate’s best reporting during 2025 on either the presidency or national defense.

• A letter of nomination from someone familiar with the candidate’s work.

• A brief biographical sketch outlining journalistic experience and training, including the candidate’s address, phone number, and email address.

All text material must be submitted electronically as PDFs measuring no larger than 8½ x 14 inches.

If URLs are included, live links must be provided, and they must remain active until the prizes are awarded in June.

Broadcast video and audio entries must include a PDF transcript, with the material itself submitted via live URL.

Digital content must be accessible outside any paywall (or include simple login credentials if necessary).

Each prize will be determined by a separate panel of judges, typically drawn from journalism, academia, or individuals with experience in the executive branch or national defense.

Judging will focus on the journalist’s ability to foster public understanding of the U.S. presidency or national defense.

Candidates should demonstrate consistent, judicious, sensitive and noteworthy coverage.

Work may have appeared in print, broadcast, or online at the local, regional, national, or international level.

Both freelance and staff journalists are eligible.