WABJ’s 4th Annual Special Honors & Scholarship Gala on Saturday, November 8 is sold out! Many thanks to our sponsors and guests!

This year’s 10 honorees were selected from a highly competitive pool of nominees and collectively represent decades of leadership, innovation, and impact across the media industry.

The 2025 honorees are:

• WABJ Lifetime Achievement Award: Michel Martin — Host, Morning Edition, NPR
• WABJ Legacy Award: Eugene Daniels and Jonathan Capehart — Co-Hosts, “The Weekend”, MSNBC
• WABJ Journalist of the Year: Geoff Bennett — Co-Anchor, PBS News Hour
• WABJ Young Journalist of Excellence Award: Jasper Smith — Reporter, The Chronicle of Higher Education
• WABJ Excellence in Communications Award: Natalie Wilson — Co-Founder and Director of Public Relations, Black and Missing Foundation
• Dorothy Butler Gilliam Trailblazer Award: John Yearwood — Editorial Director, Diversity & Culture, POLITICO
• Dr. Sheila Brooks Community Impact Award: Jonelle Henry — Director, University of Florida CJCxDC Student Immersion Program
• President’s Award: Doxie McCoy — Public Information Officer, Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia
• President’s Award in honor of the Freedom of Expression: Ron Moten — CEO and Founder, Go-Go Museum

CNN National Politics Correspondent Eva McKend and Fox 5 DC anchor/reporter Shomari Stone are the emcees for the evening. Terace Garnier will reprise her role as red carpet host.

The gala is WABJ’s largest annual fundraiser to support our longstanding Urban Journalism Workshop for local high school students, scholarships, and year-round professional development programming.

The event will  also commemorate our chapter’s 50th anniversary. The gala theme is “Gold Standard: 50 years of Excellence in Black Journalism.”