Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s news team has won 12 awards recognizing work completed in 2025 for the Excellence in Journalism contest sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. This year’s Excellence in Journalism for the SPJ Hawaiʻi Chapter were judged by the San Diego and East Tennessee chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and presented on July 29, 2026 in Honolulu.
INTERNET
First Place - Public Service Reporting
By Ashley Mizuo, DW Gibson, Catherine Cruz
Judge’s comments: This is what public service reporting should be: a thorough look at a pressing issue affecting the community including an examination of solutions and detailed information to help members of the community who might be affected - 'news you can use' to alleviate hardship.
Second Place - Government Reporting
“How physically present must state lawmakers be during session, if at all?”
By Ashley Mizuo
Second Place - Health Reporting
“Invisible battles': 2 years post-fire, Maui survivors struggle with mental health”
By Catherine Cluett Pactol
Judge’s comments: An aspect of post-disaster recovery that is rarely talked about, this story dives into how the survivors of the Maui fires are managing and often struggling with their mental health. Compelling sources, good data and information and approaching the subject from various viewpoints including cultural. Very good piece.
Second Place - Science Reporting
“These Hawai‘i native plants are the last of their kind in the wild”
By Savannah Harriman-Pote
Third Place - Best Overall News Site
“Hawaii Public Radio” - hawaiipublicradio.org
RADIO
First Place - General News/Enterprise Reporting
“ICE has been sending immigrants from the continental U.S. to Hawai‘i, and no one knows why”
By Ashley Mizuo, Maddie Bender
Judge’s comments: This report broke new ground by exposing a little-known federal practice, transferring detained immigrants thousands of miles away to an isolated island detention facility. They did it through meticulous sourcing that included legal advocates, detained individuals, and congressional representatives. Reporters Ashley Mizuo and Maddie Bender combined strong shoe-leather journalism with compelling human voices to illuminate real-word consequences of an opaque enforcement policy. Well done!
Second Place - General News/Enterprise Reporting
“ 'We are not the mistake': First graduates of Women's Court blossom back into society”
By Emma Caires
Third Place - General News/Enterprise Reporting
“Quieting invasive coqui; frogs to hear the heartbeat of Waimanalo”
By Savannah Harriman-Pote
First Place - Feature Reporting
“ 'A lost art': Building holua fosters revival of the death-defying Hawaiian sport”
By Catherine Cluett Pactol
Judge’s comments: The winning piece teaches listeners about an art form that is unique and fascinating. The piece opens our eyes to a cultural practice and its practitioners, gives us a window into a world that grows our understanding of a unique indigenous art. The voices in the story also show how the practice is in a phase of rediscovery and reinvention, which makes the story come to life.
Second Place - Feature Reporting
“Fire prevention pilot program in O‘ahu neighborhood park turns to lamb-scaping”
By Mark Ladao
Third Place - Feature Reporting
“ 'Good morning, aloha': Auntie Uilani Souza has welcomed riders of TheBus for 40 years”
By DW Gibson, Tori DeJournett
STUDENT
First Place - Student Journalism Featuring Audio
“Immigration crackdowns hit close to home for this University of Hawai‘i law graduate”
By Emma Caires, HPR-UH Legislative Intern
University of Hawaii
Judge’s comments: Talent abounds in the student competition, and each audio story covered its topic well and held the listener's interest. The first place entry underscored the human toll taken with changes in federal policies and laws and maintained its neutrality throughout while also conveying a powerful story.
SPJ Hawai‘i's mission is to stand for a free press and news media protections, urge open government and transparency, and support journalism education through internships.
