The Guardian newspaper has secured more than 20 nominations across various categories for the 2026 Press Awards. This widespread recognition highlights the paper's extensive journalistic output and its impact across national, regional, and digital platforms. The nominations span a broad spectrum of journalistic excellence, from daily and Sunday newspaper of the year to specific achievements in data journalism, interviewing, and feature writing.
The Guardian has received over 20 nominations for the 2026 Press Awards, including nods for its overall newspaper and website quality, as well as individual journalist achievements.
Press Awards Overview
The Press Awards, which celebrate national journalism, feature numerous categories judged by an esteemed panel. The specific criteria for each award aim to recognize excellence in reporting, originality, and the impact of journalistic work. While the provided data details the breadth of nominations for The Guardian, it also references other journalism award bodies such as the Regional Press Awards, the Scottish Press Awards, and the Student Publication Association National Awards, indicating a competitive landscape for journalistic accolades. The Press Awards website lists categories such as News Reporter of the Year, Columnist of the Year, Specialist Journalist of the Year, and Investigation of the Year, underscoring the diverse areas of journalism that are evaluated.
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Press Awards Categories: Include daily newspaper of the year, Sunday newspaper of the year, news website of the year, data journalist of the year, broadsheet interviewer of the year, broadsheet feature writer of the year, supplement of the year, and young journalist of the year.
Judging Panel: An "esteemed panel" is responsible for evaluating nominations.
Other Awards Mentioned: Regional Press Awards, Scottish Press Awards, Student Publication Association National Awards, The Orwell Foundation awards, Football Supporters' Association (FSA) awards, Online Journalism Awards, National Press Club Journalism Awards, BSME Awards, Society of Publication Design Awards, British Media Awards, Amnesty International UK Media Awards, George Polk Award, British Journalism Awards.
Guardian's Notable Nominations
The Guardian's nominations demonstrate a strong performance across multiple facets of journalism. The paper itself is in contention for website of the year, daily newspaper of the year, and newspaper of the year (daily and Sunday).
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Several individual journalists have also received significant recognition:
Malak A Tantesh, former Gaza correspondent, is nominated for young journalist of the year.
Pamela Duncan, former data projects editor, is a contender for data journalist of the year.
Three journalists – Charlotte Edwardes, Donald McRae, and Simon Hattenstone – are nominated for broadsheet interviewer of the year. Simon Hattenstone is also shortlisted for broadsheet feature writer of the year.
The Guardian's Saturday magazine is nominated for supplement of the year.
The Guardian is also listed for news website of the year.
Key individuals nominated include Malak A Tantesh, Pamela Duncan, Charlotte Edwardes, Donald McRae, and Simon Hattenstone, alongside The Guardian's Saturday magazine and its online presence.
Previous Recognition and Context
The Guardian has a history of receiving awards. In 2025, The Guardian and Observer received more than 20 nominations for the Press Awards, with journalists like Simon Hattenstone, Charlotte Edwardes, Eva Wiseman, and Tim Adams nominated for broadsheet interviewer of the year. Emine Sinmaz and Shanti Das were nominated for news reporter of the year, and Pippa Crerar for political journalist. The Guardian's Saturday magazine was also shortlisted for supplement of the year.
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2025 Press Awards: The Guardian and Observer received over 20 nominations.
Past Wins: The Guardian has won awards including newspaper of the year at the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) awards (for the 10th time), the Online Journalism Award, and the National Press Club Journalism Award. It has also received accolades at the BSME Awards, Society of Publication Design Awards, British Media Awards, Amnesty International UK Media Awards, and the George Polk Award.
British Journalism Awards: In 2024, The Guardian won awards for its features and sports journalism.
Press Awards History: The Guardian and Observer previously won six Press Awards, including an excellence in diversity award. The Guardian won daily newspaper of the year and its Saturday magazine won supplement of the year at these awards.
The consistent presence of The Guardian and its journalists at these prestigious award ceremonies suggests a sustained commitment to high-quality journalism.
Award Criteria and Scope
The Press Awards are designed to honor excellence in national journalism. Awards such as News Reporter of the Year recognize high-quality writing, agenda-setting reporting, and original presentation. The News Website of the Year award assesses all aspects of a news website, whether it's tied to a print publication or a standalone digital brand. The Investigation of the Year award specifically looks for work that uncovers important, shocking, or under-reported topics.
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News Reporter of the Year: Focuses on consistent quality, agenda-setting work, and originality.
News Website of the Year: Evaluates overall performance of digital news platforms.
Investigation of the Year: Recognizes impactful investigative journalism.
The criteria for these awards underscore a dedication to rigorous reporting, impactful storytelling, and the diverse forms of modern journalism.
Expert Analysis
The extensive nominations for The Guardian at the 2026 Press Awards can be interpreted as a testament to the breadth and depth of its journalistic endeavors. The paper's presence in categories ranging from overall newspaper and website quality to individual journalistic skills like interviewing, data analysis, and investigative reporting suggests a multifaceted approach to news production. The inclusion of its former Gaza correspondent in the Young Journalist of the Year category, alongside other specific nominations, points to both established strength and the nurturing of emerging talent within the organization. While specific commentary from judges or external experts is not available in the provided data, the sheer volume of nominations across varied categories inherently signals a high level of output that has been deemed noteworthy by the award evaluators.
Conclusion and Implications
The 2026 Press Awards nominations present a strong showing for The Guardian, with over 20 nods across key journalistic categories. This includes significant recognition for its overall newspaper and website performance, as well as for the individual contributions of its journalists in areas such as interviewing, data journalism, and feature writing. The nominations reflect a broad spectrum of journalistic achievement, from reporting on sensitive international issues, as highlighted by the nomination for its former Gaza correspondent, to in-depth investigative work.
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Key Findings: The Guardian is nominated for over 20 Press Awards in 2026.
Areas of Strength: Newspaper of the Year, Website of the Year, Young Journalist of the Year, Data Journalist of the Year, Interviewer of the Year, Feature Writer of the Year, Supplement of the Year.
Implications: These nominations suggest a sustained high performance and commitment to diverse journalistic excellence from The Guardian. They also serve as indicators of the evolving landscape of national journalism, with digital presence and specialized reporting gaining prominence.
The sheer number of nominations implies that The Guardian's work is consistently meeting the high standards set by the Press Awards. Further outcomes from the awards ceremony, when announced, will provide a clearer picture of specific successes.
Sources Used:
The Guardian: Nominated for more than 20 honours at 2026 Press Awards
URL:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/12/guardian-nominated-more-than-20-honours-2026-press-awardsContext: Primary source detailing The Guardian's nominations for the 2026 Press Awards.
The Press Awards: Celebrating the finest in national journalism
URL:
https://www.thepressawards.com/Context: Official website providing information on the award categories and criteria.
The Guardian: Awards
URL:
https://www.theguardian.com/gnm-press-office/awardsContext: Official Guardian page listing past awards and achievements, providing historical context for their recognition.
Inkl: Guardian and Observer nominated for top honours at 2025 Press Awards
URL:
https://www.inkl.com/news/guardian-and-observer-nominated-for-top-honours-at-2025-press-awardsContext: News article reporting on nominations from the previous year, offering comparative data.
Press Awards: UK Press Awards
URL:
https://pressawards.org.uk/?page_id=14Context: Website providing an overview of the Press Awards structure and judging process.
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