List of Sports Journalism Awards

eHow
June 14, 2011

Journalists are recognized for their contributions to the industry and society with a number of prizes and awards. Awards for investigative and humanitarian journalism are well-known, but sports journalism comprises a large portion of all media, and several prizes exist to honor sportscasters, sports reporters, editors and photographers for their excellence.

Sports Journalism Awards
The Billie Awards, named for tennis legend Billie Jean King, are awarded annually by the Women's Sports Foundation. There are five categories that recognize excellence in media portrayal of female athletes and women's sports: Entertainment, Journalism, Breakthrough and Innovation, Industry Leader and Outstanding Journalist. The Dick Schaap Award for Outstanding Journalist is presented each year by the Nassau County (New York) Sports Commission to the journalist who best exemplifies the principles of late sportswriter Dick Schaap. The award is not limited to sports journalism. The Red Smith Award recognizes outstanding contributions to sports journalism. Open to both journalists and editors, it is awarded by the Associated Press sports editors.

Sport-Specific Awards
Several sports organizations award prizes to journalists who cover a particular sport. The Dick McCann Memorial Award is given annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame to the journalist who exemplified a distinguished career of reporting on professional football. The award is named for Dick McCann, the Hall of Fame's first director. The Professional Hockey Writers' Association awards the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award annually to a newspaper journalist who has demonstrated excellence in hockey reporting. Recipients are granted automatic entry into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The J.G. Taylor Spink award is given each year by the Baseball Writers Association of America to one of its distinguished members. The Curt Gowdy Media Award honors outstanding basketball writers and broadcasters, and is presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Sportscasting Awards
Broadcast sports announcers are also recognized for their contributions to sports media. The Sports Emmy Awards are the premier sportscasting prizes, presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. There are 32 categories recognizing live coverage of sporting events, including sports announcing and sports documentaries. The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award winners are selected by the National Hockey League Broadcasters' Association, and honor radio and television broadcasters who show excellence in hockey reporting. The National Baseball Hall of Fame grants the Ford C. Frick Award to outstanding baseball broadcasters. The Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award is given annually by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for longtime contributions to radio and television coverage of professional football.

Sports Categories
Several journalism-wide awards include sports categories. The Sigma Delta Chi Award is presented by the Society for Professional Journalists each year for excellence in journalism. Sports Column Writing prizes are awarded in four divisions within the newspaper category, and there are four Sports Photojournalism divisions. Exceptional magazine covers are recognized each year with the Magazine Cover Awards, known as The Maggies. Each year, a Maggie is awarded for the Best Sports Cover.

References
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences: Sports Emmy Awards


Society of Professional Journalists: The Sigma Delta Chi Awards