Awards
The Daily Northwestern has won the Pacemaker, long regarded as the Pulitzer Prize of college journalism, numerous times throughout its history, most recently for its website in 2020 and newspaper in 2016.
2024 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
2024 Online Pacemaker Winner
Illinois Journalists of the Year
UMD’s Inaugural Maria Ressa Prize for Courage in Student Journalism
Honorable Mention for Dan Mather Medals for News and Guts
2024 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards
Finalist Best Newspaper Front Page
Finalist Best Arts and Entertainment Story
Finalist Best Investigative Story
Finalist Best Multi-Outlet Breaking News Coverage
Finalist Best Game Story Division
Finalist Best Investigative Sports Story
Finalist Best Sports Feature
Finalist Daily Newspaper of the Year
2024 ACP/CMA Awards
First Place Daily Newspaper of the Year (2-5 days per week)
2024 Illinois College Press Association
First Place Newsletter
First Place News Podcast
First Place Entertainment & Culture podcast
First Place News Story Reporting
First Place Sports News Story
First Place Sports Game Coverage
First Place Sports Feature Story
First Place In-Depth Reporting
First Place Feature Photo
First Place General Web Excellence
Second Place Entertainment Supplement
Third Place Front Page Layout
Third Place In-Depth Reporting
Third Place Multimedia Reporting
Third Place Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Coverage
Third Place Sweepstakes
Honorable Mention Sports Page Design
Honorable Mention Editorial
2023 Courage in Journalism Award from the Student Press Law Association
2023 Louis Ingelhardt Freedom of Expression Award from the Society for Collegiate Journalists
2023 Society of Professional Journalist Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards
Finalist Breaking News Reporting (Large) x2
Finalist Sports Writing (Large)
Winner Photo Essay/Slideshow
Winner Illustration
Finalist Sports Photography
Finalist Feature Videography
2023 Illinois College Press Association
First Place Opinion Page Layout
First Place Sports News Story
First Place Sports Game Story
First Place Sports Feature Story
First Place News Podcast
First Place Sports Podcast
First Place Sweepstakes
Second Place Entertainment Supplement
Second Place Special Supplement
Second Place Newsletter
Second Place News Story
Second Place In-Depth Reporting
Second Place Headline Writing
Second Place Diverse, Equity & Inclusion Coverage
Second Place Photo Essay
Second Place Feature Page Design
Second Place Multimedia Reporting
Second Place News Podcast
Second Place Entertainment & Culture Podcast
Third Place Opinion Page Layout
Third Place In-Depth Reporting
Third Place Photo Essay
Third Place Feature Page Design
Third Place Sports Page Design
Honorable Mention Editorial Cartoon
Honorable Mention Feature Story
Honorable Mention Sports Feature Story
Honorable Mention Headline Writing
Honorable Mention Feature Photo
Honorable Mention General News Photo Gallery
Honorable Mention Front Page Layout
Honorable Mention Multimedia Reporting
2023 Clips and Clicks
First Place Clips and Clicks News Story
Sixth Place Clips and Clicks Sports Story
2022 Society of Professional Journalist National Mark of Excellence Awards
National Winner Data Visualization
National Finalist Best Affiliated Web Site
2022 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
2022 Online Pacemaker finalist
2022 Illinois College Press Association
First Place Front Page Layout
First Place Opinion Column
First Place Feature Story
First Place Features Page Design
First Place News Story
First Place Sports Game Story
First Place In-Depth Reporting
First Place Headline Writing
First Place Podcast – News
First Place Podcast – Sports
First Place Podcast – Entertainment & Culture
First Place Sweepstakes
Second Place Arts and Entertainment Supplement
Second Place Special Supplement
Second Place Opinion Page Design
Second Place Feature Story
Second Place Sports News Story
Second Place Game Story
Second Place Sports Feature Story
Second Place Sports Column
Second Place Multimedia Reporting
Second Place Podcast – News
Second Place Podcast – Sports
Second Place Podcast – Entertainment & Culture
Honorable Mentions Critical Review
Honorable Mention Special Supplement
Honorable Mention Sports News Story
2021 Society of Professional Journalist National Mark of Excellence Awards
National Finalist Podcast
National Finalist Collaborative Journalism
2021 Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards
Finalist Sports Column Writing
Winner Sports Column Writing
Finalist Sports Writing
Winner Sports Writing
Finalist General News Reporting (small, up to 9,999 students)
Winner General News Reporting (small, up to 9,999 students)
Finalist General News Reporting (large, 10,000+ students)
Winner General News Reporting (large, 10,000+ students)
Finalist In-Depth Reporting (large, 10,000+ students)
Winner In-Depth Reporting (large, 10,000+ students)
Finalist Best All-Around Student Newspaper (large, 10,000+ students)
Finalist Online/Digital News Videography
Winner Online/Digital News Videography
Winner COVID-19: Video Coverage (large, 10,000+ students)
Finalist Best Podcast
Winner Best Podcast
2020 Clips & Clicks
Fourth Place Clips and Clicks Design: Newspaper Front Page
Fourth Place Clips and Clicks Writing: News Story
First Place Clips and Clicks Writing: Sports Story
Fifth Place Clips and Clicks Writing: Sports Story
2021 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
Online Pacemaker Finalist
2020 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
Online Pacemaker Winner
2020 Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence Awards (Large School Division)
First-place General News Reporting (Small School Division)
Finalist In-Depth Reporting
First-place Sports Column Writing
2020 Society of Professional Journalists Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards (Large School Division)
Finalist All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
First-place General News Reporting
Finalist General News Reporting
First-place In-Depth Reporting
Finalist In-Depth Reporting
First-place Sports Writing
Finalist Sports Writing
First-place Sports Column Writing
Finalist Sports Column Writing
First-place Online/Digital News Videography
Finalist Online/Digital News Videography
First-place Podcast
Finalist Podcast
First-place COVID-19 Video Coverage
2019 Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence Awards (Large School Division)
Finalist Online/Digital Sports Videography
2019 Society of Professional Journalists Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards (Large School Division)
First-place All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
First-place General Column Writing
Finalist General Column Writing
Finalist Sports Column Writing
First-place Sports Writing
Finalist Sports Writing
First-place Editorial Writing
Finalist Editorial Writing
Finalist Online/Digital Feature Videography
Winner Online/Digital Sports Videography
2019 Illinois College Press Association Awards
First-place Entertainment Supplement
First-place Feature Story
First-place In-Depth Reporting
First-place Column
First-place General News Photo
First-place Sports Feature Story
First-place Sports News Story
First-place Sports Game Story
First-place Sports Column
Second-place In-Depth Reporting
Second-place Sports Feature Story
Second-place Sports News Story
Second-place Sports Game Story
Third-place General Excellence (Daily Newspaper)
Third-place Podcast
Third-place Feature Story
Third-place News Story
Third-place Feature Page Design
2018 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
Online Pacemaker Winner
2018 Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence Awards (Large School Division)
Finalist All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
Finalist Digital News Videography
2018 Society of Professional Journalists Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards (Large School Division)
First-place All-Around Daily Student Newspaper
First-place Breaking News Reporting
Finalist General News Reporting (x2)
Finalist General Column Writing(x2)
Finalist Sports Writing
Finalist Editorial Writing
First-place General News Photography
Finalist Photo Illustration
First-place Sports Photography
Finalist Sports Photography
First-place Digital News Videography
First-place Digital Feature Videography
Finalist Digital Feature Videography
Finalist Digital Feature Videography
2018 Illinois College Press Association Awards
First-place General Excellence (Daily Newspaper)
First-place Entertainment Supplement
First-place News Story
First-place Sports Feature Story
First-place Sports Column
First-place Photo Essay
First-place Sports Photo
First-place Multimedia Reporting
Second-place Opinion Page
Second-place Sports News Story
Second-place Sports Game Story
Second-place Sports Feature Story
Second-place Sports Page Design
Second-place Sports Photo
Third-place Editorial
Third-place Feature Story
Third-place In-Depth Reporting
Third-place General News Photo
Third-place Multimedia Reporting
2017 Society of Professional Journalists Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper National Winner
Editorial Writing Winner
General Column Writing Winter
Breaking News Reporting Winner
Online/Digital Feature Videography Winner
Sports Column Writing Winner
2017 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards
Second-place Daily Newspaper of the Year
First-place Editorial Cartoon
Second-Place Arts & Entertainment Story
Second-Place Sports Game Story
Second-Place Podcast
Third-Place Profile
Third-Place Sports Columnist
2017 Illinois College Press Association Awards
Third-Place General Excellence
Second-Place Online Website
First-Place Feature Photo
First-Place In-Depth Reporting
First-Place Sports Feature
First-Place Feature Story
Second-Place Column
Second-Place Sports Page Design
Second-Place News Story
Second-Place Feature Story
Third-Place Front Page Layout
Third-Place Editorial Cartoon
Third-Place Sports Column
Third-Place General News Photo
Third-Place Feature Photo
Third-Place Sports News Story
2016 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
Newspaper Pacemaker Winner
Second-place Diversity Story of the Year
Fifth-place Multimedia Story of the Year
Fifth-place Feature Story of the Year
Ninth-place Feature Story of the Year
Eight-place Sports Photo of the Year
Online Pacemaker Finalist
2016 Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence Awards
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper Winner
General Column Writing Winner
Online Opinion and Commentary Winner
2016 Society of Professional Journalists Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper Winner
General Column Writing Winner
In-Depth Reporting Finalist
Online Opinion and Commentary Winner
2016 Illinois College Press Association Awards
First place Feature Story
First-place Sports Feature
First place Sports Game Story
First-place for Sports News Story
First-place Front Page Design
First-place Sports Page Design
First-place Sports Photo
Second-place General News Photo
Second-place In-Depth Reporting
Second-place for Editorial Writing
Second-place Sports Column
Second-place Sports News Story
Second-place Online News Site
2016 College Media Association Pinnacle Awards
Third-place Four-Year Daily Newspaper of the Year
2015 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
Online Pacemaker Finalist
Multimedia Story of the Year Finalist
Editorial/Opinion Story of the Year Finalist
2015 Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence Awards
Breaking News Reporting Finalist
General Column Writing Winner
Sports Column Writing Finalist
2015 Society of Professional Journalists Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards
Best All-Around Daily Student Newspaper Finalist
Breaking News Reporting Winner
General Column Writing Winner
In-Depth Reporting Finalist
Sports Column Writing Winner
Sports Writing Finalist
2014 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
Fifth-place Photo Slideshow
Fifth-place General News Photo
2014 Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence Awards
Sports Writing Finalist
2014 Society of Professional Journalists Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards
Best All-Around Daily Newspaper
Breaking News Reporting Winner
Sports Writing Winner
In-depth Reporting Finalist
General News Reporting Finalist
2014 Illinois College Press Association Awards
First-place Front Page Layout
First-place Sports Page Design
First-place Sports News
First-place Sports Game Story
2014 Hearst Journalism Awards
Second-place Enterprise Reporting
Ninth-place Sports-Writing
2013 Associated Collegiate Press Awards
Newspaper Pacemaker Finalist
2013 Society of Professional Journalists Region 5 Mark of Excellence Awards
Sports Writing Finalist
2013 Illinois College Press Association Awards
First-place General Excellence
First-place Online New Site
First-place Front Page Layout
First-place Feature Page Layout
First-place News Story
First-place General News Photo
First-place Non-sports Column
First-place Multimedia
First-place Sports Column
2013 Hearst Journalism Awards
Second-place Enterprise Reporting
Sixth-place Breaking News Reporting
2012 Illinois College Press Association Awards
First-place In-Depth Reporting
First-place Sports Feature Story
First-place Sports Column
