For outstanding journalism published or aired in California-based English or in-language ethnic media outlets — print, online, broadcast, social media platforms —between September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025.
The start date for sending nominations is Monday, Sept. 15th. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, Oct. 15th.
California freelance content producers working for a California ethnic news outlet may apply with permission from the news outlet where their work appeared.
We will celebrate the winners at the ACoM Expo & Awards on Nov. 7 at the PG&E Conference Center in Oakland, CA.
Categories | How to Submit Entries | Awards | Judging
Award Categories
The 2025 CA Ethnic Media Awards categories highlight issues that align with ethnic media’s central mission to tell the stories and amplify the voices and perspectives of their communities.
Entries can be news reports, feature stories, special investigations, news analyses, opinion essays/editorials, or photo essays.
ACoM encourages ethnic media entrants to identify the topics they are passionate about and/or that are of deep concern to the audiences they serve.
1. Art/Culture, Entertainment & Sports
This award honors the best article that explores cultural diversity and unique perspectives on ethnic cultures through sports, food, and the performing arts. It recognizes outstanding storytelling that captures the richness of multigenerational traditions and the ways arts and entertainment reflect community life.
Topics may include, for example:
- Cultural icons, sports figures, and role models
- The arts as a lens on social issues
- Cross-cultural resonance and influence of the arts
- Arts, entertainment, or sports shaped by barriers such as immigration, discrimination, or international relations
2. Business & Economy
This award recognizes the best article that examines the business and economic forces shaping ethnic communities. From immigrant entrepreneurship to multigenerational family businesses, workforce trends, and financial innovation, it honors reporting that highlights both the challenges and contributions of diverse communities to the broader economy.
Topics may include, for example:
- Cost of living and inflation
- Tariff and trade impacts
- Jobs and workforce development
- Business recovery after disasters
- Immigration enforcement and ICE raid impacts on business and economy
3. Education
This award recognizes outstanding in-depth analysis, feature stories, or investigative reporting on education—from preschool through K-12, college, postgraduate, and vocational training—as it relates to ethnic and immigrant communities. It honors reporting that sheds light on the unique challenges, opportunities, and innovations shaping educational experiences across generations.
Topics may include, for example:
- School funding and cost
- Bullying and school climate
- Student mental health
- Impacts of reduced funding on colleges and public schools
- Immigration enforcement and ICE raid impacts on students and families
4. Environment
This award honors outstanding in-depth analysis, feature stories, or investigative reporting on environmental challenges as perceived and experienced by ethnic and immigrant communities. From climate change and energy conservation to toxic waste, air pollution, and access to public parks and public spaces, it recognizes reporting that captures the impacts of environmental issues as well as community resilience and adaptation.
Topics may include, for example:
- Climate change and extreme weather
- Wildfires and disaster response
- Pollution and public health
- Access to parks and public spaces
- Public safety and environmental justice
- Community innovations such as urban gardens or drought adaptation by immigrant farmers
5. Health
This award honors outstanding in-depth analysis, feature stories, or investigative reporting that documents the unique experiences of ethnic and immigrant communities in addressing health and health care issues. It recognizes reporting that explores inequities as well as innovations and solutions.
Topics may include, for example:
- Mental health
- Medicaid cuts
- Access to health care
- Discrimination and bias in treatment
- Data collection and research findings
- Representation in medical research
- Language and cultural barriers
- Diversity in the health care workforce
- Health disparities and inequities
- Chronic illnesses
- Impacts of immigration enforcement and ICE raids on health
6. Immigration
This award honors outstanding in-depth analysis, feature stories, or investigative reporting that spotlights the experiences of immigrants and refugees, changes in immigration policies, and the struggle for immigrant rights. It recognizes reporting that captures both personal stories and broader policy impacts.
Topics may include, for example:
- Immigration enforcement, deportation, and racial profiling
- ICE raids, detention, and protests
- Family separation
- Asylum seekers and refugee resettlement
- Economic and labor impacts
- Civic engagement and immigrant rights advocacy
- Civil rights and constitutional protections
- Visa policies for students, workers, and families
- Travel restrictions
- Job access and workplace conditions
7. International Affairs
This award recognizes the best article that connects ethnic communities to global events and issues. From immigration and diplomacy to transnational business, culture, and family ties, it honors reporting that highlights how international affairs shape—and are shaped by—diverse communities at home and abroad.
Topics may include, for example:
- Trade and tariffs
- Remittances
- Visa policies for students, workers, and families
- Foreign investment
- Tourism and travel
- Global conflicts (e.g., Russia–Ukraine, Gaza war)
- Human rights, persecution, and political dissent
- Public opinion in diaspora communities
- Civic engagement and activism
8. Politics
This award honors outstanding in-depth analysis, feature stories, or investigative reporting on the political forces affecting ethnic and immigrant communities. From homeland politics to grassroots movements, community activism, and election campaigns, it recognizes reporting that shows how political decisions and engagement shape diverse communities.
Topics may include, for example:
- Profiles of first-time candidates
- Voter enfranchisement and suppression
- Redistricting and representation
- Local, state, and national election coverage
- Homeland politics and its influence on U.S. communities
Accountability of elected officials to diverse constituencies
Categories | How to Submit Entries | Awards | Judging
How to Submit Entries
Click on the button below and use our form to submit entries by Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025.
- Qualifying entries must have been published or aired between September 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025.
- An entry must indicate the category in which it is submitted and include a headshot photograph and contact information of the reporter credited for the submission, and the outlet where the entry was published or aired.
- No more than one entry per category per media outlet or independent journalist is permitted.
- No more than eight entries – one for each category – are allowed per ethnic news outlet or individual news reporter.
- If the entry involves a series of articles, the maximum number of articles per series is three.
- Two or more ethnic media outlets that partnered on a specific reporting project should
- submit entries under the name of the lead outlet, with all media that participated listed on the application form.
- Audio or Video entries need to be submitted as URLs (ensure sharing settings allow ‘all to view’)
- Print and Digital entries need to be submitted as URLs or PDFs.
- In-language text submissions require an English language translation along with the in-language entry. If the entry is a video or audio submission, there must be an English-language summary (300 words max) of what it is about and/or English-language subtitles.
Categories | How to Submit Entries | Awards | Judging
Awards
The ACoM Awards require no submission fees.
Each award winner will receive a cash prize of $500. Second place winners will receive $300.
Finalists each receive a certificate and will be announced during the Awards ceremony and will be featured along with the Award winners on a special landing page of the ACoM website.
Tickets to attend the Expo & Awards on Nov. 7 are free. Space is limited. Reserve your space now to ensure entry.
Categories | How to Submit Entries | Awards | Judging
Judging
Judges will prize the originality of the topics covered, the diligence and credibility of the reporting, the uniqueness of the information provided, the use of multimedia storytelling formats (i.e. video or audio excerpts, photography, data visualization, interactive graphics, creative use of social media.), the impact of the story on the community served.
Each judge will be asked to review submissions in a specific category and to select three finalists per category, which will then be reviewed by an ACoM advisory board to determine the first and second place winners. Judges will include people with linguistic and/or cultural fluency, knowledge of the ethnic news media sector, and/or expertise in fields ethnic media cover, such as politics, health care, the economy, education, the environment, social justice issues, sports, food, and entertainment.
Three Winners per category – (1) Print/Digital, (2) Broadcast (TV & Radio), and (3) Multimedia
