Call for Entries: Atlantic Media's Michael Kelly Award, Honoring Fearless Pursuit and Expression of Truth in Journalism

Deadline to enter: Friday, February 5, 2016

Washington, D.C. (January 6, 2016)—Atlantic Media has issued a call for entries for its 2016 Michael Kelly Award, honoring journalists for their exemplary work in memory of the late Atlantic Media editor Michael Kelly. The deadline to enter is Friday, February 5, 2016.

The Michael Kelly Award, now in its 13th year, is open to writers and editors at U.S.-based newspapers, magazines, and websites whose work exemplifies a quality that animated Michael Kelly's own career: the fearless pursuit and expression of truth. The award was established by Atlantic Media to honor Kelly who died in 2003 while covering the war in Iraq—the first journalist to be killed in the conflict. Kelly served as editor of two Atlantic Media publications, The Atlantic and National Journal.

In recognition of Kelly’s career as a reporter and editor at a variety of newspapers and magazines, entries are encouraged from publications big and small, online and print, as well as from young journalists, whom Kelly took delight in mentoring.

A prize of $25,000 will be awarded to the winning entry. Each entry selected as a finalist will receive $3,000.

Entry guidelines can be found at www.kellyaward.com. Entries must be for work published in a U.S.-based newspaper, magazine, or website in 2015 and can be submitted by email, either as a PDF for print articles or as a web link for online stories. Up to five pieces of work may be submitted. There is no fee to enter.

The most recent Michael Kelly Award recipient is Rania Abouzeid, who took first prize in 2015 for “The Jihad Next Door,” an expansive investigation into the roots of ISIS amidst civil war in Syria for Politico Magazine. Other recent winners include: Rukmini Callimachi for the Associated Press, Brian Mockenhaupt for Byliner.com, Sarah Stillman for The New Yorker, David Rohde for the New York Times, C.J. Chivers for Esquire, and Nicholas Kristof for the New York Times. Past winners have also been honored for work published by  the Raleigh News & Observer, Seattle Times, and Salt Lake Tribune. The Michael Kelly Award was established in 2004.