Congratulations to the following 2026 Wilbur Award Honorees:

Written Works – Newspaper Articles + Other Written Works, Extra Long:

 Wilbur:

• This school is fighting antisemitism all wrong. Why is it working?
  The Forward; Arno Rosenfeld
• Pastors and Prey
  NBC News Digital; Mike Hixenbaugh, Roberto Daza, Antonia Hylton, Elizabeth Chuck, Suzy Khimm

Excellence:

• How Falun Gong Spread and Transformed China in the ’90s: A Look at the Practice that Spread Globally and Changed the Lives of Tens of Millions
  The Epoch Times; Eva Fu, Samira Bouaou, and Lorrita Liu
• When the Flames Came for an Altadena Church
  Capital & Main; Jessica Goodheart
• Trump’s War on ICE-Fearing Catholics
  Capital & Main; Jeremy Lindenfeld
• ‘Never a photo op he didn’t like’: Jewish NY postmaster grew, shaped USPS letters to Santa program in 1930s, ’40s
  JNS; Menachem Wecker
• How Yeshiva University’s deal with its LGBTQ club collapsed
  The Forward; Louis Keene
• A Jewish farmer drove 600 miles to rescue a century-old synagogue. Now he’s building a new one in a cornfield
  The Forward; Benyamin Cohen
• Anne Frank didn’t live here — she never had the chance
  The Forward; Stav Ziv
• 100 Years of YIVO
  The Forward; PJ Grisar
• Dyke March
  The Forward; Nora Berman
• How Oklahoma’s superintendent set off a holy war in classrooms
  The Hechinger Report; Linda K. Wertheimer 
• Houses of Worship Aid Federal Workers
  Religion News Service/RNS; Adelle M. Banks and Jack Jenkins

Merit:

• The podcasters making antisemitism Christian again
  The Forward; Mira Fox
• How a Jewish mother from Flatbush became America’s most recognizable Italian on TV
  The Forward; Andrew Silverstein
• Inclusivity Means All: How Amaana Serves the New Orleans Muslim Disability Community
  The Fetzer Institute; The Fetzer Institute, Global Outreach, Dilshad Ali

  

Written Works – Newspaper Articles + Other Written Works, Long: 

Wilbur:

• Can Catholic colleges and universities stay Catholic?
  Religion News Service/RNS; Heidi Schlumpf, Aleja Hertzler-McCain, Adelle M. Banks
• Religious resistance to “Operation Midway Blitz”
  Religion News Service/RNS; Jack Jenkins
• A US diocese defies trends and ordains its largest class of Catholic priests in decades
  The Associated Press/AP; Tiffany Stanley
• Pope Francis bestowed a special nickname on AP’s Vatican reporter for her often-tough questions
  The Associated Press/AP; Nicole Winfield

Excellence:

• Is there religious revival among Gen Z?
  Religion News Service/RNS; Kathryn Post
• One was born Catholic, another was a West Virginia Protestant — and now they’re all making Jewish art
  The Forward; Simi Horwitz
• A series on Hindu immigrants and visibility
  Religion News Service/RNS; Richa Ravindra Karmarkar
• Bit by bit, small US groups chip away at historic levels of social isolation
  The Associated Press/AP; Peter Smith
• Immigration crackdown stokes fear and solidarity at a Catholic church in DC
  The Associated Press/AP; Luis Andres Henao, Tiffany Stanley and Jessie Wardarski

Merit:

• No Jews allowed: White supremacists are building a segregated community in Arkansas, but is it legal?
  The Forward; Hannah Feuer
• Anti-Shariah conspiracy theories, a staple of 9/11-era rhetoric, resurge around Mamdani
  Religion News Service/RNS; Fiona Anne Andre
• Why So Many Young Men Are Publicly Supporting the Pro-Life Movement: Men are Raising Awareness that They Can, and Should, Have a Voice on Abortion
  The Epoch Times; T.J. Muscaro, Madalina Vasiliu Kilroy, and Monica Seeley
• ‘Sit in this courtroom if you want to feel good about the world’: Community court marks 1-year anniversary
  Canadian Broadcasting Corp./CBC News; Meghan Grant
• Aberration or Stupidity: Be Kind
  WE ARE THE TREE OF LIFE; Jacqueline Semha Gmach and Ezra AI
• Trump’s Greenland Obsession Overlooks A Spiritual Iceberg
  The Media Project; Julia Duin
• Embracing Sacred Sexuality: Discovering the Divine Within Our Desires
  The Fetzer Institute; The Fetzer Institute, Global Outreach, Don Abram

 

Written Works – Newspaper Articles, Medium: 

Wilbur:

• Gaskin: What women wish their pastors knew about abuse
  Greater Grove Hall Main Streets/Boston Herald; Ed Gaskin

Merit:

• Actually, I’d love for Chabad to ask me if I’m Jewish
  The Forward; Olivia Haynie
• Leo’s Papal Wardrobe Includes An Unexpected, And Growing, Sports Jersey Collection
  Religion Unplugged; Clemente Lisi

 

Written Works – Newspaper Articles + Other Written Works, Opinion: 

Wilbur:

• 50 years after its debut, ‘Hester Street’ reminds us what it means to be American
  The Forward; Simi Horwitz
• A Radical Reimagining of “Never Again”
  The Revealer; Niyati Evers

Excellence:

• Righteous gentiles in the Holocaust were no ‘ordinary thing’
  The Forward; Simi Horwitz

Merit:

• Jews cannot remain silent about the murders of Christians in Congo
  Religion News Service/RNS; Jeffrey Kenneth Salkin
• To my fellow travelers on their Pride journey
  Greater Grove Hall Main Streets; Ed Gaskin
• Resurrection Amidst Rubble: Palestinian Christians This Easter
  Greater Grove Hall Main Streets; Ed Gaskin
• In the Spirit of the Prophets: A New Covenant of Care
  Greater Grove Hall Main Streets; Ed Gaskin
• Gaskin: Project 2025 shapes a Christian vision of government
  Greater Grove Hall Main Streets; Ed Gaskin
• Gaskin: Earth Day in a ‘drill, baby, drill’ world
  Greater Grove Hall Main Streets; Ed Gaskin
• I Faced Antisemitism at Harvard. Don’t Destroy the University in My Name.
  S. News & World Report; Sarah Silverman, U.S. News & World Report
• Becoming A Great Commandment Christian
  Greater Grove Hall Main Streets; Ed Gaskin

Written Works – Magazines: 

Excellence:

• The Story of Iraq’s Jews
  Kurdistan Chronicle; Kurdistan Chronicle
• “Is Your Blood Clean?”: The Paranoid Pastor Who Turned His Church into a Violent Cult
  The Walrus; Rachel Browne, Writer; Harley Rustad, Editor; Hailey Choi, Fact-checker; Michael Byers, Illustrator; Allison Baker, Head of Research; Carmine Starnino, Editor-in-Chief

Merit:

• Kurdistan’s Fallen Crosses
  Kurdistan Chronicle; Goran Shakhawan Samko

 

Books: 

Wilbur:

• A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance
  Macmillan / St. Martin’s Essentials; Diana Butler Bass
• Hyphen: Jewish Stories In Our Own Words
  Be’chol Lashon (Global Jews); Julian Voloj – Be’chol Lashon

Excellence:

• The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture’s Most Controversial Issues
  Macmillan / St. Martin’s Essentials; Dan McClellan
• Good Soil
  Penguin Random House; Jeff Chu
• The Traveler’s Path: Finding Spiritual Growth and Inspiration Through Travel
  Reformed Journal Books; Douglas J. Brouwer
• Out of Gaza: A Tale of Love, Exile, and Friendship
  University of Nebraska Press; Katharina Galor
• The Best of KidSpirit, Volume XI
  KidSpirit; KidSpirit

Merit:

• The Wisdom I Can’t Teach
  Paul Coyne

 

Audio Productions – Audio Only News Stories, Long: 

Wilbur:

• “The book every Jew should read before the High Holy Days”
  Religion News Service/RNS; Jeffrey Kenneth Salkin

Excellence:

• Loose Reins, Tight Factions: The Southern Baptist Convention
  Religion News Service/RNS; Amanda Henderson, Bob Smietana, and Jonathan Woodward
• Breaking the Silence: Faith and Mental Health in Black Communities
  National Public Radio/NPR; Katia Riddle, Diane Webber
• Baptizing the Battlefield: Pete Hegseth’s Holy War at the Pentagon
  Religion News Service/RNS; Amanda Henderson, Jack Jenkins, and Jonathan Woodward

Merit:

• Reaction from the faithful and a friend as Robert Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV
  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/CBC; Nil Köksal, Chris Howden, Cassie Argao, Leslie Amminson, Austin Webb, and Morgan Passi
• MAKE THE SEASON KIND: Feeding Bodies, Nourishing Community in Port Hope
  Canadian Broadcasting Corp./CBC Radio One; Ramraajh Sharvendiran , Marichka Melnyk
• Bringing science education to the incarcerated
  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/CBC; Rosie Fernandez, Bob McDonald, Jim Lebans

 

Audio Productions – Audio Only News Stories, Medium: 

Wilbur:

• Catholic nuns, missing babies, a mass grave — and a reckoning with Ireland’s past
  National Public Radio/NPR; Lauren Frayer, Fatima Al-Kassab, Paulo Nunes dos Santos
• A poignant Ash Wednesday after LA wildfires
  National Public Radio/NPR; Jason DeRose, Daniel Burke, Liz Baker

Excellence:

• This Harlem pastor fights mental health stigma — and shares his own struggles
  National Public Radio/NPR; Katia Riddle, Diane Webber
• Election of the first American Pope
  National Public Radio/NPR; Jason DeRose, Sylvia Poggioli, Ruth Sherlock, Claire Giangrave, Scott Detrow, Daniel Burke, Sarah Ventre, Courtney Dorning, Tyler Bartlam, Tara Neill, and Nick Spicer
• ICE crackdown in Chicago causes many immigrants to alter routines, even missing church
  Religion News Service/RNS; Adora Namigadde and Aleja Hertzler-McCain

Merit:

• Southern California congregations shelter migrants left in legal limbo
  National Public Radio/NPR News; Jason DeRose, Daniel Burke, Liz Baker
• Latter-day Saints are having fewer children. Church officials are taking note
  National Public Radio/NPR; Ciara Hulet, Andrea de Leon & Daniel Burke

Audio Productions – Long Form, Long: 

Wilbur:

• When We All Get to Heaven
  Eureka Street Productions; Lynne Gerber, Siri Colom, Ariana Nedelman, Krissy Clark, Sayre Quevedo, David Herman, and Tim Dillinger-Curenton

Merit:

• When We Were on Fire
  Independent Creator; Lizzie Goldsmith, Addie Zierman, and Aria Sivick

 

Audio Productions – Long Form, Medium Series:

Wilbur:

• Kindergarten to Grade 12 – Lessons in Life
  Canadian Broadcasting Corp./CBC; Sarah Keaveny Vos

Excellence:

• Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
  Soul Evolution Media LLC; Jonah Platt

Merit:

• God, Glam and the Good Wife: The Rise of the ‘Womanosphere’
  Religion News Service/RNS; Katelyn Beaty, Roxanne Stone, Jonathan Woodward
• Jewish Crossroads
  JPPI – The Jewish People Policy Institute; TAMAR ISH SHALOM

Audio Productions – Long Form, Medium Single Work:

Wilbur:

• On Pilgrimage With Dorothy Day
  Wisconsin Public Radio and PRX; Shannon Henry Kleiber, Anne Strainchamps, Steve Paulson, Joe Hardtke, Charles Monroe-Kane, Angelo Bautista, Sarah Hopefl

Merit:

• The Haunting of Unreserved
  Canadian Broadcasting Corp./CBC; CBC Unreserved: Rosanna Deerchild, Kim Kaschor, Rhiannon Johnson, Elena Hudgins Lyle, Amanda Gear
• Encounters With St. Augustine
  Canadian Broadcasting Corp./CBC Radio One; Sean Foley, Producer; Greg Kelly, Executive Producer

 

Audio Productions – Long Form, Short:

Excellence:

• The best of planners
  Canadian Broadcasting Corp./CBC; Caroline Hillier, Lindsay Bird, Liz Hoath, Natalie Dobbin

Merit:

• Losing faith: Rural religious colleges are among the most endangered
  The Hechinger Report and National Public Radio/NPR; Jon Marcus, senior higher education reporter, The Hechinger Report, and Elissa Nadworny, NPR correspondent

Audio-Visual – News Stories, Long:

Excellence:

• After Helene: Relief and Recovery
  WATE-TV; Don Dare and Dave Wignall
• CBS Sunday Morning: It’s a Wonderful Life
  CBS News; Ted Koppel, Dustin Stephens, Ed Givnish, & Rand Morrison
• CBS Sunday Morning: Making Amends
  CBS News; Ted Koppel, Dustin Stephens, Ed Givnish, Mike Hernandez, & Rand Morrison

Merit:

• Ed O’Keefe Interviews Cardinal Blase Cupich on the election of Pope Leo XIV
  CBS News; Ed O’Keefe, Mary Hager Laird, Anne Hsu, Alana Anyse, Jake Miller, Carol Joynt, Kelsey Micklas, Matthew Jeffries, Pete Gow, Shelly Schwartz
• 60 Minutes: “The Bus on Route 62”
  CBS News / 60 Minutes; Scott Pelley, Nicole Young, Kristin Steve, Ihor Nalyvaiko, Don Lee, Christopher Everson, Eric Kerchner, Peter Berman, Jorge J. Garcia, Michelle Karim
• CBS News: Papal Coverage
  CBS News; CBS News

 

Audio-Visual – News Stories + Other, Medium + Short:

Wilbur:

• CBS News Sunday Morning: Bearing Witness
  CBS News; Rand Morrison, Executive Producer; Lee Cowan, Correspondent; Amiel Weisfogel, Producer; Carol Ross, Editor
• CBS News Sunday Morning: Inheritance
  CBS News; Rand Morrison, Executive Producer; Lee Cowan, Correspondent; Amiel Weisfogel, Producer; Steven Tyler, Editor

Excellence:

• CBS Sunday Morning: Story For Our Times
  CBS News Sunday Morning; Mo Rocca, Mark Hudspeth, Jason Schmidt, Efrain Robles
• CBS Evening News, Eye on America: Lessons in Forgiveness
  CBS News; Mark Strassmann, Guy Campanile, Jim Axelrod, Brian Bingham, Carlos P. Beltran, Chris St. Peter, Jo Macaluso, Jason Roberts, Tracy Duncan, Jeff Duncan
• CBS Evening News, Eye on America: The Rise of Non-denominational Christians
  CBS News; Maurice DuBois, Jim Axelrod, Brian Bingham, Andrew Wolff, Marcos Caballero, Brian McEneny
• Breaking the Silence: Muslim Suicide Prevention
  The Fetzer Institute; The Fetzer Institute, Global Outreach, Linda Freund
• Guardians of the Sacred Bees
  The Fetzer Institute; The Fetzer Institute, Global Outreach, Noel Rojo, Magdalena Rojo

Merit:

• Blacklisted: The Sacred Magic of Black Cats
  The Fetzer Institute; The Fetzer Institute, Global Outreach, Sullivan Slentz, Julia Pillard, and Silma Suba

 

Audio-Visual – Long Form:

Wilbur:

• Compass Season 39
  Compass ABC TV; Amanda Collinge Executive Producer

Excellence:

• A SACRED PIECE OF HOME: WASHINGTON D.C.
  Cultural Literacy Associates, LLC; Amita Sarin and Ori Z. Soltes
• This is the CCP’s Greatest Weakness: An interview with Ambassador Sam Brownback on American Thought Leaders
  The Epoch Times; Executive producer and host Jan Jekielek, producer Irene Luo, video editor Gary Bosek, and video editor Weicheng Pan

Merit:

• The Cult of the Saints
  Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC TV); Presenter/Producer: Suzanne Smith, Editor: Danielle Akayan, Researcher: Wendy Boynton, Executive Producer: Amanda Collinge

 

Audio-Visual > Digital:

Wilbur:

• Being Jewish with Jonah Platt
  Soul Evolution Media LLC; Jonah Platt, host of “Being Jewish with Jonah Platt”

Merit:

• The Secret History of Judaism’s Hasidic Movement
  OpenDor Media; Jeff Handel, Ezra Weiser, Adi Elbaz, Yirmiyahu Danzig, Mo Weiss, Goldie Goldberg, Riaan Stoman
• Are Israelis and Palestinians Fighting Over Religion?
  OpenDor Media; Jeff Handel, Micah Smith, Paula Kweskin, Yirmiyahu Danzig, Adi Elbaz, Jacob Ross, Goldie Goldberg, Riaan Stoman
• The Arabs Who Swore a Blood Oath With Israel
  OpenDor Media; Jeff Handel, Micah Smith, Paula Kweskin, Yirmiyahu Danzig, Esther Baruh, Tzvi Joffre, Goldie Goldberg, Riaan Stoman, Mo Weiss

 

Audio-Visual > Full Length:

Wilbur:

• Among Neighbors
  Headfirst Arts & Media; Yoav Potash, Producer, Writer & Director | Anita Friedman, Executive Producer
• The Last Irish Missionaries
  Scratch Films; Liam McGrath, Gerry Hoban, Catherine O’Mahony, Emer O’Clery, Bryan Dobson, Dearbhail McDonald

Excellence:

• Juliette Rabbitskin
  Canadian Broadcasting Corp./CBC North Cree Unit; Terrence Duff, Betsy Longchap, Cole Bosum, Étienne Saint-Amour, Jean-Marc Levasseur, Jerome Lafon, Sebastien Lauzon, Michel Picard, Lachlan Madill
• Blind Spot
  The Mitzi Project, Inc.; Blind Spot, The Mitzi Project, Inc., Leonard Gold
• The Ritual
  David Midell, Enrico Natale, Mitchell Welch, Andrew Stevens

 

Audio-Visual – Entertainment:

Wilbur:

• Long Story Short – Episode: Yoshi’s Bar Mitzvah
  Netflix; Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright, Steve A.Cohen, Elijah Aron, Mehar Sethi, Rachelle Williams-BenAry, Jordan Young, Alex Bulkley, Corey Campodonico, Lisa Hanawalt, Laura Donney, David Ichioka, Richard Choi

Images – Photography:

Wilbur:

• More Than Fields: The Spirit of Xochimilco’s Chinampas
  The Fetzer Institute; The Fetzer Institute, Global Outreach, and Noel Rojo

Excellence:

• When the Flames Came for an Altadena Church
  Capital & Main; Barbara Davidson

Audio Productions – Extended Length