top of page

The work still to come.

An annual $50,000 unrestricted award for a mid-career journalist doing exceptional work.

In memory of Neal Conan, 1949–2021

Sepia-toned portrait of Neal Conan.

Nominations

Nominations for the 2026 Prize closed on July 31, 2026. The next cycle opens November 26, 2026 and closes on July 31, 2027.

How nominations work →

Prize Overview

Laureates contribute priority nominations for the Prize; a selection committee chooses the recipient.

No reporting requirements, no prescribed use — just a bet on what they’ll do next.

The story behind the Prize.

Video · 3:21 · English captions · Transcript available

The 2027 Neal Conan Laureates

Announcing the inaugural class: ingenuity, adaptability and perseverance.

Nikole Hannah-Jones

Nikole Hannah-Jones

Photo: Regina Fleming

Latif Nasser

Latif Nasser

Photo: Courtesy of WNYC Studios

Lydia Polgreen

Lydia Polgreen

Photo: Earl Wilson / The New York Times

Pablo Torre

Pablo Torre

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images

Lauren Williams

Lauren Williams

Photo: Javonte Anderson, Capital B

Neal Conan and our 2025 winner

Neal and the Prize Winner

In Honor of Neal Conan

Neal Conan

Neal J. Conan

Neal Conan spent nearly four decades at NPR as a reporter, producer, editor, and host of Talk of the Nation. His fairness, curiosity, and respect for listeners guide the Prize created in his memory.

2025 Prize Winner

Mohammed Mhawish, 2025 Neal Conan Prize winner

Mohammed Mhawish

Palestinian journalist Mohammed Mhawish reports with courage and humanity under extraordinary conditions. His work for The Nation, The New Yorker, and other outlets documents life in Gaza and the experiences of those displaced by war.

Latest from Neal Notes

Reporting, craft, and the conditions that make journalism possible.

bottom of page