Walter Cronkite Awards 

December 10, 2025 – Recognizing how a free press defends American democracy, the 2025 Walter Cronkite Awards for Excellence in Political Journalism will take place on December 12, 2025 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Honorees in attendance will include Rachel Maddow (“The Rachel Maddow Show”), Scott Pelley (“60 Minutes”), Peter Alexander (NBC News), Julio Vaqueiro (Noticias Telemundo), and more. The ceremony will also feature original video messages from honorees Jon Stewart (“The Daily Show”) and John Dickerson (“CBS Evening News Plus”). Stewart’s award is the first in a new category: Comedic News and Commentary.

“The message sent by honoring these winners,” said USC Annenberg professor Martin Kaplan, founding director of the school’s Norman Lear Center which administers the award, “is that the press isn’t ‘the enemy of the people’ – it’s the firewall between the public and disinformation, abuse of power and corruption.”

Established in 2001 and presented biennially by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the Walter Cronkite Awards for Excellence in Political Journalism recognize outstanding political journalism on television and digital media that meets the highest standards of reporting and analysis. At a time when multiple independent polls show that majorities of Americans in both political parties are deeply concerned about the future of democracy, the award honors journalists whose work exemplifies the role of a free press in protecting constitutional principles, defending the rule of law, and holding power to account.

The full roster of winners can be found below. For more information, including the winning entry videos, visit cronkiteawards.org.