The Sidney Hillman Foundation awards the Hillman Prizes for Journalism in the U.S and Canada, as well as the monthly Sidney Awards for investigative journalism in service of the common good.
U.S: The call for entries for the 2026 U.S Hillman Prizes has closed. The deadline to enter was January 30, 2026.
The foundation also awards the annual SEIU Award for Reporting on Racial and Economic Justice. All U.S Hillman Prize entries will automatically be considered for this award as well.
CANADA: The call for entries for the 2026 Canadian Hillman Prizes has closed. The deadline to enter was January 15, 2026.
Broadcast Journalism (story/series/documentary that premiered on television, radio or podcast in 2026)
Entry deadline is January 30, 2027.
You may nominate your own work or someone else's. There is no entry fee.
A cover letter and link to the program are all that are required. The cover letter should be 1-2 pages and summarize the content of the reporting, its impact, and explain why it deserves the prize according to the mission of the Sidney Hillman Foundation.
Please submit a well-focused story proposal of no more than three pages. Think of it as a pitch, much like you would submit to an editor: give us enough preliminary reporting and documentation to demonstrate that the story is solid. The proposal should highlight what’s new and significant about the story, why it matters now, any unique access or documents you may have, and what its potential impact might be.
There is no deadline. We will accept pitches on a rolling basis.
The maximum grant will be $5,000 but grants of varying amounts will be awarded based on demonstrated need. You must have an outlet already attached.