2026 John B. Oakes Award (Credit Card Payment)

The John B. Oakes Award is awarded for outstanding environmental reporting across platforms. The winner will receive $5,000 and will be recognized at a ceremony at Columbia Journalism School. All formats including text, audio and video reporting are eligible for the award. All entries must have appeared in the U.S. during 2025. The entry fee for each submission is $75. Entry fees are non-refundable. How to Enter:   All materials should be formatted and uploaded as PDFs or as live links. Supporting multimedia presentations should be sent as URLs. Links must remain live through September 2026.   To enter, please fill out the entry form and upload supporting materials.   Materials needed for entry:  

• One to five pieces of environmental reporting. Materials may be uploaded as PDFs or as links. 
  
• Confirmation that the pieces appeared during 2025.
  
• Transcripts for radio or video reporting, or if your online entry includes audio/video components.


  Supplemental materials such as a brief statement on the work as well as biographies of the persons who contributed to the pieces may be submitted.   Please keep in mind:  

• A single article or a series of articles can be submitted. A series must be designated as such by the publication when it appeared. A regular column may also be submitted as a series.


• If submitting a series, up to five articles can be submitted. 
    
• A translation must be supplied for any article not written in English.


• Please provide live links to online stories, including log ins when needed.

• For all visual elements, the name of the photographer, videographer, or graphic artist should be included on all entry forms.