Trade Journalism Award

The NIHCM Foundation Trade Journalism Award celebrates outstanding reporting produced for specialty audiences that advances understanding of U.S. health care challenges and solutions. Now in its 32nd annual cycle, this award is administered by the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation and is aimed at elevating the role of trade and industry-focused journalism in shaping national discourse around health care affordability, access, and quality. This award recognizes stories or officially disseminated series published in 2025 that are specifically written for specialty publications or niche audiences. Acceptable entries must focus on U.S. health care and provide original insight into the drivers of rising costs, as well as evidence-based proposals for improving accessibility or quality. Whether the reporting is geared toward health care professionals, policymakers, or a specialized trade sector, it must ultimately speak to the broader mission of enhancing health system performance. The award includes a single prize of $15,000 to the winning entry. Submissions are limited to three per entrant, and each article or series may only be submitted to one NIHCM award category. Entries are judged on their originality, creativity, quality of reporting, and their relevance and impact for stakeholders such as health plans, health care delivery systems, and policymakers. Judges for this cycle include industry professionals and editors from outlets such as STAT News, Bloomberg News, Fierce Healthcare, and USA Today. Their evaluations will consider the unique challenges and perspectives that trade journalism brings to the health policy arena. Judges will also assess the practical impact of the reporting in informing or influencing the behavior of relevant stakeholders. Applications are free and must be submitted by January 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. There are no pre-application steps, such as letters of intent or concept papers. Inquiries related to the award can be directed to Mikayla Thompson at mthompson@nihcm.org. While the specific performance period or notification date is not disclosed, the longstanding annual nature of the award implies a recurring cycle. Journalists working in trade media are encouraged to monitor NIHCM Foundation updates for future award announcements.