Announcing the Finalists for the Religion News Association’s 2026 Awards for Excellence in Religion Reporting
Congratulations to the finalists of the Religion News Association’s 2026 Awards for Excellence in Religion Reporting.
This year’s awards recognize outstanding religion journalism across 20 competitions, organized into four categories: Written, Visual, Audio, and Any Format. Winners will be announced at the RNA Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 25, 2026. Finalists are listed below by category.
Written Religion Reporting
Alberto Fernández, EWTN News
Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star
Allegra Hobbs, Texas Monthly
Andre Henry, Religion News Service
Bob Smietana, Religion News Service
Bobby Ross Jr., The Christian Chronicle
Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter
Cassidy Grom, Religion Unplugged
Chandra Bozelko
Deena Yellin, The Record/Northjersey.com
Dilshad Ali, Religion News Service
Eli Federman
Elizabeth Dias, The New York Times
Emma Bubola, The New York Times
Fatima AbdulKarim, ONE Magazine
Gail Cornwall, The Atlantic
Hannah McClellan, EducationNC
Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service
Jana Riess, Religion News Service
Jane Bradley, The New York Times
Jason Horowitz, The New York Times
Jay Michaelson, The Forward
Jay P. Goldman, School Administrator Magazine
Jeff Chu
Jonathan Pitts, Baltimore Sun
Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star
Laure Delacloche, ONE Magazine
Lauren Jackson, The New York Times
Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Moment Magazine
Lorenzo Milne, ONE Magazine
Mark A. Chancey, School Administrator Magazine
Mary C. Curtis, Equal Time with Mary C. Curtis
Menachem Wecker, The Art Newspaper
Nicole Winfield, The Associated Press
Niyati Evers, The Revealer
Peggy Fletcher Stack, The Salt Lake Tribune
Peter Smith, The Associated Press
Petterik Wiggers, ONE Magazine
Rebecca Hopkins, Christianity Today / The Roys Report
Richa Karmarkar, Religion News Service
Rob Eshman, The Forward
Robert M. Franklin, School Administrator Magazine
Ruth Graham, The New York Times
Samar Hazboun, ONE Magazine
Sarah Stankorb, Elle
Simi Horwitz, The Forward
Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Sruli Fruchter, The Forward
Thomas J. Reese, S.J., Religion News Service
Tom Gjelten, Moment Magazine
Tyler Huckabee, Sojourners Magazine
Religion Publication Finalists
Moment Magazine
The Revealer
Sojourners Magazine
Book of the Year Finalists
Holly Berkley Fletcher, “The Missionary Kids: Unmasking the Myths of White Evangelicalism”
Ken Chitwood, “Borícua Muslims: Everyday Cosmopolitanism among Puerto Rican Converts to Islam”
William J. Kole, “In Guns We Trust: The Unholy Trinity of White Evangelicals, Politics, and Firearms”
Visual Religion Reporting
Abigail Brooks, NBC News
Ahmad Fallaha, ONE Magazine
Andrew Nelles, The Tennessean
Andrew Yex, Jewish Life TV
Ani Chkhikvadze, PBS News Hour
Anna Klochko, ONE Magazine
Antonia Hylton, NBC News
Ashlee Rezin, Chicago Sun-Times
Brad Pomerance, Jewish Life TV
Colm Flynn, EWTN News
Danny O'Brien, Jewish Life TV
Diaa Ostaz, ONE Magazine
Eli Katzoff, Moment Magazine
Fiona Murphy, Religion News Service
Francisco Pareja, The Fetzer Institute / The Miami Herald
Geraldine Cols Azócar, NBC News
Jack Kliger, Jewish Life TV
Jessie Wardarski, The Associated Press
José Angel Guevara, The Fetzer Institute / The Miami Herald
Karen Franklin, Jewish Life TV
Kate Snow, NBC News
Katia Patin, PBS News Hour
Krysta Fauria, The Associated Press
Lauren Costantino, The Fetzer Institute / The Miami Herald
Linda Freund, The Fetzer Institute / The Miami Herald
Louis Ruediger, Trib Total Media
Luis Andres Henao, The Associated Press
Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News
Morgan Till, PBS News Hour
Mostafa Taleb, The Fetzer Institute / The Miami Herald
Nick Lerman, NBC News
Patrick Leonard, EWTN News
Quinton Boudwin, NBC News
Roberto Daza, NBC News
Sara Just, PBS News Hour
Sarah Breger, Moment Magazine
Simon Ostrovsky, PBS News Hour
Tate James, NBC News
Audio Religion Reporting
Amanda Henderson, Complexified, Religion News Service
Andrea de Leon, NPR
B.T. Irwin, The Christian Chronicle Podcast, The Christian Chronicle
Catherine Laidlaw, NPR
Ciara Hulet, NPR
Daniel Burke, NPR; NPR & NEPM
Deena Prichep, NPR
Emily Wither, BBC
Esau McCaulley, Holy Post Media
Fatima Al-Kassab, NPR
Frank Langfitt, NPR
Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service
Jonathan Woodward, Complexified, Religion News Service; Saved by the City, Religion News Service
Kaitlyn Schiess, Holy Post Media
Katelyn Beaty, Saved by the City, Religion News Service
Kenneth Pybus, The Christian Chronicle Podcast, The Christian Chronicle
Lauren Frayer, NPR
Mary C. Curtis, Equal Time with Mary C. Curtis
Mike Stralow, Holy Post Media
Nirvani Williams, NPR & NEPM
Paulo Nunes dos Santos, NPR
Phil Vischer, Holy Post Media
Roxanne Stone, Saved by the City, Religion News Service
Sarah Ventre, NPR & NEPM
Seth Gorveatte, Holy Post Media
Skye Jethani, Holy Post Media
Any Format Religion Reporting
Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Religion News Service
Alex Jouve, PBS
Amanda Henderson, Complexified, Religion News Service
Andy Carvin, The Forward
Andy Olsen, Christianity Today
Antonia Hylton, NBC News
Bekah Stolhandske McNeel, Texas Monthly
Benyamin Cohen, The Forward
Bobby Ross Jr., The Christian Chronicle; Religion Unplugged
Brian Kaylor, A Public Witness
Camillo Barone, National Catholic Reporter
Clara Pehling, The Beacon (University of Portland)
Clara Shapiro, The Forward
Crispian Balmer, Reuters
Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News
Elizabeth Dias, The New York Times
Emma Bubola, The New York Times
Evan Sung, Religion News Service
Fatima Al-Kassab, NPR
Fiona André, Religion News Service
Gulnaz Khan, PBS
Hannah Feuer, The Forward
Helen Teixeira, Religion News Service
Hossam Aboul-Magd, PBS
Ian Shapira, The Washington Post
Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service
Jake Wasserman, The Forward
Jason Horowitz, The New York Times
Jason Williams, PBS
Jeff Roberts, NJ Advance Media
Jeremy Seifert, PBS
Jessica Morris, The Roys Report
Josh Shepherd, The Roys Report
Joshua McElwee, Reuters
Julia Duin, The Roys Report
Julie Roys, The Roys Report
Kaylee Monahan, The Beacon (University of Portland)
Lauren Frayer, NPR
Lauren Jackson, The New York Times
Liam Adams, The Tennessean
Matthew Enuco, NJ Advance Media
Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post
Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News
Olivia Haynie, The Forward
Patricia Mazzei, The New York Times
Paulo Nunes dos Santos, NPR
Peter Smith, The Associated Press
Philip Pullella, Reuters
Q Acosta, The Beacon (University of Portland)
Rachel Berkebile, Religion News Service
Rachel Rosenfield, Moment Magazine
Roberto Daza, NBC News
Ruth Graham, The New York Times
Staff of The New York Times, The New York Times
Suzy Khimm, NBC News
Tara Copp, The Washington Post
Tiffany Stanley, The Associated Press
Tom Gjelten, Moment Magazine
Note: Finalists listed without a publication are independent / freelance journalists recognized for work published across multiple outlets.
