Published: Feb. 20, 2015
Al Nakkula Award

Entry deadline for the 2015 Al Nakkula Award for outstanding police reporting is March 9, 2015. Late entries will not be accepted. The award is co-sponsored by the University of Colorado College of Media, Communication and Information and the Denver Press Club.

Entries should take the form of a story or series about one topic and/or event. They must be in electronic form, submitted to听buffjournalism@gmail.com. Entries should include PDFs of the relevant stories or urls (if readily available to multiple judges regardless of paywall). Please also attach a cover letter of nomination, which may be from the entrant and/or his/her sponsoring publication.

The entry fee is $75 and the first-place prize is $2,000. The award is for work produced in print and/or online platforms in the United States in 2014. The winner will be invited to speak to classes at the University of Colorado College of Media, Communication and Information on Thursday, April 23, 2015 and to accept the award at the Denver Press Club鈥檚 Damon Runyon dinner on April 24, 2015. The second-place finisher will receive a certificate of merit. Sorry, this award is not for broadcast work.

The Nakkula Award is named for the late Al Nakkula, a 46-year veteran of the Rocky Mountain News, whose bulldog tenacity made him a legendary police reporter.

For questions please call Michelle P. Fulcher, 303-492-0460 or 303-809-0500.

Past Winners

2014 Winner:

Reporter Megan O鈥橫atz and Database Editor John Maines
South Florida Sun Sentinel

2013 Winner:

Ryan Gabrielson
Center for Investigative Reporting鈥檚 California Watch

2012 Winner:

Gina Barton
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

2011 Winner:听
Cris Barrish

2010 Winner:
Mark Puente

2009 Winner:
Karyn Spencer

2008 Winner:
Jonathan Schuppe

2007 Winner:
Robert Rogers

2006 Winner:
John Diedrich

2005 Winner:
Amber Hunt Martin

2004 Winner:
Del Quentin Wilber

2003 Winner:
Stacy Finz

2002 Winner:
Stephanie Warsmith

2001 Winner:
Brigid O鈥橫alley

Second Place
Vanessa Ho

2000 Winner:
Tom Searls

Second Place
Dawn Hobbs

1999 Winner:
Sean Gardiner
.

1998 Winner:
Mark Truby

1997 Winner:
Andy Furillo

1996 Winner:
Pamela Hill

1995 Winner:
Melvin Claxton

1994 Winner:
William Hermann

1993 Winner:
J.D. Mullane

1992 Winner:
Scott Bowles

1991 Winner:
Diana K. Sugg