Michigan Chronicle Executive Editor Jeremy Allen and journalists Ebony JJ Curry and Sam Robinson have been named as award winners in the Society of Professional Journalists-Detroit Chapter’s 2026 Excellence in Journalism awards contest. The contest awards work done during the 2025 calendar year.
The list of Michigan winners was released by the organization on April 22, but winners for specific stories, categories, and placements won’t be announced until the chapter’s annual ceremony and banquet, which takes place Wednesday, May 20 in Troy.
“This is my first individual journalism award,” said Robinson, who joined Michigan Chronicle in spring 2025. His beat includes coverage of Detroit City Hall and local government for the Chronicle.
“I feel like I win awards every day, though, when people approach me and say they’ve read my work and say that they respect the journalism I do. But this does feel good. I’ve gotten messages from people congratulating me and it feels good,” he said.
Curry, who currently works as a reporting fellow at The 19th News, has won SPJ-Detroit awards in consecutive years now. She said that she’s grateful to the community for entrusting her with the stories that often get overlooked.
“It is an honor that I do not take lightly simply because I’m uniquely positioned to tell the stories of my community – uplifting the voices and experiences of Black Detroiters – by connecting people to important policies that impact their daily lives,” she said.
Allen, who began leading the Chronicle’s editorial staff in 2023, said the organization has been doing the work of amplifying Black Detroit and Michigan stories for the past 90 years, and it feels gratifying to be recognized for the work.
“The Michigan Chronicle turns 90 this year, so it’s an honor to lead a team of dedicated, passionate journalists who understand what that means and what the organization means to the community,” he said. “Ebony and Sam have told so many important stories that might not have been amplified if not for the way that they tap into the city and the way they advocate for residents through their journalism. I’m proud to work alongside them and the rest of the team at Michigan Chronicle.”
The May ceremony also will honor three important members of Detroit media with Lifetime Achievement Awards. These are the three journalists recognized for their lifelong contributions to journalism in Metro Detroit and Michigan:
- Stephen Henderson – Award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster; Pulitzer Prize for Commentary; co-founder of BridgeDetroit; co-author of The Civility Book Society of Professional Journalists.
- Bill McGraw – Over 50 years in Detroit journalism; former Free Press staff member; author of The Detroit Almanac and The Quotations of Mayor Coleman A. Young; documentary producer and consultant Society of Professional Journalists.
- Alicia Nails – Director of Wayne State University’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity; Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist with more than 40 years of experience in television, radio, and print/electronic media; has also executed citywide public relations campaigns for major special events and organizations, including the African World Festival and the Detroit Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Additionally, SPJ Detroit will name the Journalist and Young Journalist of the Year, as well the recipients of its 2026 Larry Laurain scholarships, which are given annually to college students with an expressed interest in journalism.
Finalists for Journalist of the Year and Young Journalist of the Year are:
Journalist of the Year
- John Carlisle – Detroit Free Press
- Ryan Garza – Detroit Free Press
- Bill Kubota – Detroit PBS
- Koby Levin – Outlier Media
Young Journalist of the Year
- Ronia Cabansag – Michigan Public
- Isabel Lohman – Bridge Michigan
- Briana Rice – Outlier Media
