List of 2026 winners may be found here
FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Journalists, editors and designers from across Tennessee gathered June 25, 2026 for the annual Tennessee Press Association awards ceremony, which has been co-sponsored by the University of Tennessee System for 86 years. The ceremony honors newspapers, journalists and media organizations for outstanding work in reporting, photography, writing, design and public service.
Among this year’s winners, the Kingsport Times News received the most first-place awards with eight wins, while the Wilson Post finished second with seven first-place awards.
The General Excellence Award, the contest’s highest honor, recognizes overall excellence among newspapers within their respective divisions. Winners are determined by a point system based on contest placements throughout the competition. The Standard Banner of Jefferson City earned the award for the sixth consecutive year, while the Chattanooga Times Free Press received the honor for the second consecutive year.
Other General Excellence Award winners were:
The Erwin Record
The Nashville Ledger
Kingsport Times News
“Local journalism helps tell the stories of our communities while keeping people informed about the issues that matter most in their daily lives,” said Keith Carver, senior vice chancellor and senior vice president of the UT Institute of Agriculture. “That purpose aligns closely with our land-grant mission. Whether through local newsrooms or university outreach, we share a responsibility to provide trusted, research-based information that serves Tennesseans and helps communities thrive.”
The ceremony was held during a luncheon at the Embassy Suites in Franklin, which featured 1,088 entries submitted by 68 member newspapers and online publications. Entries were judged by the Maine Press Association through the Tennessee Press Association’s reciprocal judging process.
First-place winners in the editorial, best single editorial and public service categories received $250 prizes funded by UT’s Edward J. Meeman Foundation. Established in 1968, the foundation supports the contest, provides professional critiques and supports journalism education across Tennessee.
About the University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a statewide system of higher education with campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin and Memphis; the UT Institute of Agriculture with a presence in every Tennessee county; and the statewide Institute for Public Service. The UT System manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory through its UT-Battelle partnership; enrolls nearly 65,000 students statewide; produces more than 15,000 new graduates every year; and represents almost 497,000 alumni around the world.
About the Tennessee Press Association
The Tennessee Press Association is the trade association of Tennessee’s daily and non-daily newspapers and online news organizations and it is the parent organization of Tennessee Press Service and Tennessee Press Association Foundation. It was founded in 1870-71 for the purpose of creating a unified voice for the newspaper industry of Tennessee.