Each year, the PNA and the PNA Foundation honor the exceptional work of outstanding professional and student journalists, sales professionals, and newsroom leaders across Pennsylvania. Through our contests and awards, we celebrate the compelling and creative ways news organizations serve their communities, from powerful storytelling, innovative engagement and community‑centered work that defines local news to sustain strong local journalism and make a meaningful impact on the world.
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award honors outstanding service and accomplishment spanning a career in journalism.
Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence
This award recognizes individuals who have performed an outstanding service or accomplishment to their newspapers; to the news media industry; to their local communities; or to the PNA, that reflected positively on the news media industry in Pennsylvania.
News Organization of the Year (NOY)
The purpose of NOY designation is to recognize outstanding work across all departments and including all products, with an emphasis on overall excellence.
PNA Hall of Fame
The PNA Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have performed outstanding and distinguished service for the news media industry in Pennsylvania.
News Media Industry Executive of the Year Award
Honors a distinguished executive who has had a profound and lasting impact on the news media industry.
News Media Industry Emerging Leader of the Year Award
Recognizes an exceptional individual who is making a meaningful impact and shows outstanding promise as a future leader.
News Media Industry Innovator of the Year Award
Recognizes an individual whose groundbreaking ideas have made a significant, measurable impact on the news media industry.
Keystone Media Awards – Professional
These awards reinforce excellence by individuals in the news media profession, by recognizing journalism that consistently provides relevance, integrity and initiative in serving readers and audiences, and faithfully fulfills its First Amendment rights and responsibilities. Further, they stimulate journalists to improve their craft and ultimately improve their community.
Keystone Media Awards – Students
The Student Keystone Media Awards contest recognizes high school, university and college journalism that provides relevance, integrity and initiative in serving readers.
PNA Foundation Advertising Contest
This contest recognizes advertising departments across Pennsylvania that continue to produce outstanding printed and digital classified and display ads, campaigns, and special publications worthy of much recognition.
Audience Development Person of the Year Award
Recognizes an audience development manager or employee who has done an outstanding job in their field.
Newspaper Hero of the Year Award
Recognizes a news organization employee or newspaper carrier who went above and beyond the call of duty.
Affiliated: Pennsylvania Bar Association Media Awards
The PBA Media Awards were established to recognize journalistic excellence in news and feature reporting in broadcast, print and podcast media of the legal system and its operations.
Affiliated: SPJ Keystone Chapter’s Excellence in Journalism Contest
SPJ Keystone Pro Chapter’s Spotlight Contest annually recognizes the best in journalism.
Plaque Ordering
Purchase the same plaques we issue to the first-place winners in our Student and Professional Keystone Media Awards and the PNA Foundation Advertising Contest, directly from Present A Plaque. Order the black marble pocket plaques with frosted, non-glare acrylic – item #FBPOCM81S (for individual plaques) or item #FBPOCM81 (for a case of 10). You’ll see significant savings if ordering by the case. Plaque orders will be sent directly to you from Present A Plaque via FedEx (ground or 2-day delivery options available).