Submit Your 2026 ASJA Awards Entries Now
The 2026 ASJA Awards for works by independent writers are now open for submissions and will be accepting entries through 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Monday, Feb. 2. My co-chair of the ASJA Awards program Dara Chadwick and I encourage you to submit your best journalism, content writing, and nonfiction book work — and soon!
Get more information and submit entries here.
Winning an ASJA award is not just prestigious, it can boost your career.
“The award was an external validation that the work I do… is important,” said ASJA member Tara Haelle in an ASJA Confidential interview after winning a 2023 award for outstanding trade publication article. “It’s confirmation that yes, the topic mattered. This is a hard industry, professionally and personally, and the external recognition that my work matters goes a long way when I’m in the midst of a tough story where I feel like throwing in the towel.”
The ASJA Awards honor the best articles, essays, nonfiction books, and content marketing pieces published in 2025. The only exceptions are submissions for The Arlene Book Awards for books published in 2023, 2024 or 2025; the Arlene Article Awards for articles published in 2024 or 2025; and the June Roth Memorial Awards for outstanding medical books published in 2024 or 2025. See additional details below.
2026 ASJA Awards Special Category on Writing About AI
The 2026 ASJA Awards for journalistic articles includes a new special category — artificial intelligence. The award will be given to the best article or series of up to three articles written in 2025 by an independent writer about AI, reflecting strong reporting and insights about how the technology is changing our lives, work, relationships, pursuits, health care, economy, media, transportation, or the world. The winner will receive a $500 prize. Last year’s articles special category of reporting on the environment, climate change, or sustainability returns as a regular category without prize money.
Another new articles category for 2026 is cultural criticism. The award covers arts criticism and reviews, reflecting insights and analysis for the performing arts, literature, and visual arts. Entrants can submit a single article or a series of up to three articles.
Judges will review and assess article and content writing entries through April 10, in time for ASJA to announce the winners at the 2026 virtual conference April 20-22. Book entries will be judged through May 15 and those winners will be announced shortly after that.
Volunteer to Help Judge the 2026 ASJA Awards
To meet our goal of announcing 2026 ASJA Awards articles and content writing winners at the conference in April, we fervently need more people to volunteer to be judges. Last year, it took 70 people to judge the ASJA Awards, and Dara and I expect to need about that number this year. Both member and nonmember writers and editors can serve as judges. If you can judge and haven’t told us yet, please email Dara Chadwick dara@darachadwick.com or me at reisenberg315@gmail.com and include your phone number.
Once we have secured all the judges, we’ll assign individuals to categories for judging. Volunteer judges are free to enter the awards contest; they just can’t judge the categories they’re entering.
2026 ASJA Awards Categories
The ASJA articles and book awards are available in dozens of categories. Descriptions are listed on the ASJA site and here’s a rundown:
The Arlenes: Articles That Make a Difference. These awards were established by ASJA member Howard Eisenberg (no relation) to honor his late wife, Arlene Eisenberg, the author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting and other bestselling books. The Arlene Eisenberg Memorial Fund provides a monetary award, which in 2026 is $1,000. Winning articles must have “made a difference by inspiring positive action within a locale or community, society, or the world.” The Arlene Book Awards, granted once every two or three years, are back in 2026, for books published in 2023, 2024 or 2025.
The Donald Robinson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism. This award honors ASJA’s third president, who was a noted investigative journalist. Entries should be articles that include in-depth, original research and reporting, and demonstrate outstanding writing and organization, as well as new or previously unrevealed research. If the topic frequently receives attention, the article should show it in a new light. The 2026 prize is $1,000.
June Roth Memorial Awards for Outstanding Medical Article and Outstanding Medical Book. The June Roth Memorial Fund was established by her late husband to honor ASJA’S 31st president, a well-known medical writer. The award recognizes journalism articles or books that represent exceptional achievement in health and medical writing. Unlike other ASJA Awards, the June Roth awards are for ASJA members only. For 2026, the prize amount for the June Roth article and book awards will be $1,000 each.
Outstanding Article Awards. These journalism awards spotlight freelance-produced articles exhibiting excellence in writing, research, and clarity of presentation. Categories include: Artificial Intelligence; Personal Platform, Online Writing; Business Writing; Cultural Criticism; Excellence in Reporting; First-Person Essays; Wellness, Fitness and Sports; Food and Drink; Health; How-To (Service); Lifestyle; Opinion/Op-Eds; Profiles; Reported Essays; Science; Social Change; Technology; Trade; Travel; and Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability.
Outstanding Book Awards. Books must be nonfiction and written by independent writers, either individual authors or collaborative works, published in 2025. The books must be deemed significant, exceptionally well-researched, and skillfully written. Self-published books, e-books, and traditionally published books may be nominated. Judges will consider a book’s overall significance, the quality of the author’s research, and the skill of the author’s writing.
The book categories are: Biography/History; General Nonfiction; Memoir/Autobiography and Service/Self-Help. Only PDF or e-book submissions will be accepted.
Outstanding Content Awards. These awards honor writers whose freelance articles — produced for a brand, business, nonprofit, hospital, university or association — display excellence in writing, research, and clarity of presentation. Categories include: B2B (Business to Business) Blog or Article; B2C (Business to Consumer) Blog or Article; and Long-Form Content (B2B and B2C content of more than 2,500 words published in print or digital publications).
2026 ASJA Awards Application Details
Writers may enter up to 10 entries, however, articles or books may be entered in only one category. Writers can submit articles as PDFs or upload the URL as part of the online submission process. Books can be submitted as PDFs or e-books through the online submission portal.
ASJA will use the Cognito platform for submissions. If you have trouble submitting an awards entry, please contact the ASJA office.
ASJA members receive discounts on entry fees, one of the many benefits of being an ASJA member. For ASJA members, fees are $40 per article entry and $60 per book entry. For non-members, fees are $60 per article entry and $90 per book entry. Entries can be paid for by credit card only.
Wishing you the best of success with your 2026 ASJA Award entries!
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Richard Eisenberg is an ASJA board member, co-chair of the ASJA Awards and Client Connections programs and an “unretired” independent writer and podcaster.