Al Nakkula Award for Police Reporting
The award, sponsored by the Journalism department at the College of Media, Communication and Information and the Denver Press Club, honors the late Al Nakkula, a 46-year veteran of the Rocky Mountain News whose tenacity made him a legendary police reporter. Nakkula passed away in 1990.
The award is for work produced by a reporter or reporting team in print and/or online platforms in the United States in 2024. Entries should take the form of a story or series about one topic and/or event. Sorry, this award is not for broadcast work.
The first-place prize is $2,000. The winner will also be invited to speak to classes at the ²ÊÃñ±¦µä's College of Media, Communication and Information.
Learn more about the 2024 winner: ‘A really gutsy piece of journalism’ on police response to the death of a woman in BDSM
Year | Name(s) | Story | News Organization |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | Brett Murphy | ProPublica | |
2022 | Meribah Knight (Nashville Public Radio) and Ken Armstrong (ProPublica) | ProPublica (in partnership with Nashville Public Radio) | |
2021 | Eric Umansky with Adriana Gallardo, Lena Groeger, Joshua Kaplan, Topher Sanders, Joaquin Sapien, Mollie Simon, Moiz Syed, Lucas Waldron and Derek Willis | ProPublica (with contributing reporting from The City) | |
2020 | Kyle Hopkins | Anchorage Daily News | |
2019 | Gary Harki | The Virginian-Pilot | |
2018 | Topher Sanders and Ben Conarck | ProPublica, Florida Times Union | |
2017 | Jennifer Bjorhus and Kelly Smith and the investigative team | Minneapolis Star Tribune | |
2016 | Ken Armstrong, T. Christian Miller | The Marshall Project, ProPublica | |
2015 | Brad Heath | USA TODAY | |
2014 | Reporter Megan O’Matz and Database Editor John Maines | South Florida Sun Sentinel | |
2013 | Ryan Gabrielson | Center for Investigative Reporting’s California Watch | |
2012 | Gina Barton | The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel | |
2011 | Cris Barrish | The News Journal | |
2010 | Mark Puente | The Plain Dealer | |
2009 | Karyn Spencer | Omaha World-Herald | |
2008 | Jonathan Schuppe | The Newark Star-Ledger | |
2007 | Robert Rogers | The Sun | |
2006 | John Diedrich | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Related Stories | |
2005 | Amber Hunt Martin | Detroit Free Press | |
2004 | Del Quentin Wilber | Baltimore Sun | |
2003 | Stacy Finz | San Francisco Chronicle | |
2002 | Stephanie Warsmith | Akron Beacon Journal | |
2001 | Brigid O’Malley | Naples Daily News | |
2000 | Tom Searls | Charleston Gazette | |
1999 | Sean Gardiner | The Florida Times-Union. | |
1998 | Mark Truby | The Huntington Herald-Dispatch | |
1997 | Andy Furillo | The Sacramento Bee | |
1996 | Pamela Hill | Northwest Arkansas Times | |
1995 | Melvin Claxton | Virgin Islands Daily News | |
1994 | William Hermann | The Arizona Republic | |
1993 | J.D. Mullane | Bucks County Courier Times | |
1992 | Scott Bowles | The Detroit News | |
1991 | Diana K. Sugg | The Sacramento Bee |