New York, NY, October 31, 2025 – Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights today announced it has opened its 2026 RFK Book and Journalism Awards for submissions. Submitted works must have been published, aired, or broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2025. The deadline for all entries is January 30, 2026.

The annual competition, in place since 1969 for journalism categories and 1980 for the book award, highlights exemplary student and professional work across book, print, broadcast, and photography categories. Submissions spotlight critical issues of human rights, social justice, and the transformative power of individual action.

Last year’s winners included Jonathan Blitzer’s book, “Everyone Who is Gone is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis,” which profiles migrants, activists, and politicians to examine how decades of misguided policy and sweeping corruption have resulted in a vast and unremitting conflict. Other winners included NBC News Studios and Trilogy Films series “The Sing Sing Chronicles,” a groundbreaking exposé of the criminal justice system that ultimately helped overturn wrongful convictions in five New York City homicide cases and free six innocent men.

This year’s contest includes a recently updated Radio category, which has been expanded to include podcast submissions. The Print category includes all written submissions, covering digital entries as well. 

All guidelines and rules for entry are available here. There is a $75 entry fee for all professional journalism and book entries. There is no entry fee for college and high school submissions.

Winners will be announced during a virtual ceremony in May 2026 featuring leading journalists, authors, and activists. Winners receive a cash prize: $2,500 for the Book Award winner, $1,000 for each of the professional journalism award categories, and $500 for student award winners.

Visit RFKHumanRights.org for more information on the awards and last year’s honorees.

About Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights
We are a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that has worked to realize Robert F. Kennedy’s dream of a more just and peaceful world since 1968. In partnership with local activists, we advocate for key human rights issues—championing change makers and pursuing strategic litigation at home and around the world. And to ensure change that lasts, we foster a social-good approach to business and investment and educate millions of students about human rights and social justice.

Media contacts:
Amy Zelvin Reid, reid@rfkhumanrights.org
Emma Gillett, gillett@rfkhumanrights.org