NSNC to Recognize 2026 Annual Columnist Contest Winners

Join or Renew Your NSNC Membership

Consider a Gift to the NSNC Education Foundation

NSNC to Recognize 2026 Annual Columnist Contest Winners

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC) President and Board of Directors are pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Annual Columnist Contest at an online awards celebration on Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m. EST. If you would like to join us for the awards ceremony, email nsncdirector@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Join or Renew Your NSNC Membership

Welcome! Whether you write for newspapers, magazines, newsletters, trade journals or you create a podcast or write digital content, or you manage your own blog … whether you’re on staff, a freelancer, syndicated, self-syndicated or independent, if you write opinion or provide commentary, we invite you to join the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Join us at https://www.columnists.com/join-or-renew-membership/.

Consider a Gift to the NSNC Education Foundation

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists Education Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable organization [501(c)3] devoted to the education and training of new and experienced columnists everywhere. Donate here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/NSNCEdFnd

New Column for Suzette Standring

Suzette Martinez Standring is now writing a humor column for The Milton Patch, “The Funny Side of the Street.” The Milton Patch is part of AOL’s national network of on-line local newspapers.  She continues to write her syndicated religion column for GateHouse News Service. Suzette also landed an agent, Rita Rosenkranz of the Rita Rosenkranz…

NSNC Members receive Awards

Congratulations to NSNC members Mary Curtis, Philip Martin, Mike Argento and Roger Ebert for being named winners in The Society for Features Journalism 23rd Annual Excellence-in-Features Writing Competition. Contest categories included general features, short features, features specialty reporting, general commentary, arts and entertainment coverage, blogging, reader engagement and multimedia storytelling. First place winners in each…

NSNC Contest Finalists Announced

It’s that time we’ve been awaiting all year: The results of the NSNC column-writing contest have been determined. The judges have pored over the entries (they may have poured over them, too, when the judging went late into the night, but if nothing spilled on the entries, we don’t ask about such things and they…

Celestine Sibley Honored

Celestine Sibley, popular Georgia columnist, continues to receive accolades in spite of her death. Sibley received the NSNC Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999 shortly before her death. The Georgia Women of Achievement will induct Sibley winner into its hall of fame next week.  She was inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2007. Sibley was a syndicated columnist…

In the June Newsletter

Two of our regular newsletter contributors, Ben Pollock and Dave Lieber, have been members of the NSNC for 20 years. They offer observations about the past, present and future of our organization. What Are You Writing? Some examples from three of the 2011 column writing contest finalists. Conference Chair Brian O’Connor updates the schedule for…

New Book from LA Columnist

Los Angeles columnist and NSNC member Patrick Caneday has just published his first book. Crooked Little Birdhouse: Random Thoughts on Being Human is a collection of Caneday’s “Small Wonders” columns that have appeared in the Glendale News Press and Burbank Leader. But, with the addition of a series of previously unpublished, lengthier essays, he explores…