About Civil Beat / Our Awards

Our Awards

Winner

Best Overall News Site
2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii 13 years in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter.

View full list of Civil Beat’s awards.

National Awards

2023 Online News Association - General Excellence In Online Journalism, Small Newsroom

First Place
Honolulu Civil Beat

2023 Editor and Publisher, EPPY Awards

First Place
Best news/political blog (fewer than 1 million unique visitors)
The Sunshine Blog

2023 Asian American Journalists Association

First Place
Excellence in Pacific Islander Reporting
UXO: Lethal Legacy

2023 American Bar Association

Finalist
Silver Gavel/Newspaper Category
Hawaii v. Parental Rights

2022 Institute for Nonprofit News Awards

First Place
Best Investigative Journalism Award (super)
Red Hill

2022 Best In Business, Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing

First Place
International Reporting - Small division
"UXO: Lethal Legacy"

2022 Best In Business, Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing

First Place
Government - Small division
Red Hill

2022 Association of Health Journalism

Public Health - Small division
"Journey To Care"

2022 Society for Features Journalism

Second Place
Features Series or Project
“Hawaii Grown”

2022 Editor and Publisher, EPPY Awards

Runner Up
Best Online-Only News Website: Under 1 million unique monthly visitors
Civil Beat

2022 Asian American Journalists Association Awards

First Place
Pacific Islander Reporting
"Hawaii's Pandemic: Hardest Hit Communities"

2022 Asian American Journalists Association Awards

Second Place
Engagement
Ka Ulana Pilina

2021 Institute for Nonprofit News Awards

Honorable Mention
Breaking Barriers Award
"Hawaii's Pandemic: Hardest Hit Communities"

2021 Online Journalism Awards

Finalist
Explanatory Reporting, Small Newsroom
"Hawaii Grown"

2020 Online Journalism Awards

Finalist
General Excellence in Online Journalism, Small Newsrooms
Honolulu Civil Beat

2019 Editor and Publisher, EPPY Awards

First Place
Best Online News Website: Under 1 million unique monthly visitors
Civil Beat

2019 Online Journalism Awards

First Place
General Excellence, Small Newsroom
Civil Beat

2019 News Leaders Association

First Place
Punch Sulzberger Award for Digital Innovation
"Are We Ready? Or Not?"

2019 Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing

First Place
Energy/Natural Resources – Small division
Reeling It In

2019 Asian American Journalists Association Awards

First Place
Asian American Pacific Islander Issues, Multimedia
Black Market Babies

2019 Asian American Journalists Association Awards

First Place
Asian American Pacific Islander Issues, Radio/Audio
The Blood Calls

2018 Associated Press Media Editors Awards

First Place
International Perspective
"Faith Betrayed"

2018 Associated Press Media Editors Awards

Honorable Mention
Public Service
"Waiting in Pain"

2018 Editor and Publisher, EPPY Awards

First Place
Best Podcast: Under 1 million unique monthly visitors category.
"Offshore Podcast - The Blood Calls"

2018 Editor and Publisher, EPPY Awards

First Place
Best News or Event Feature on a Website: Under 1 million unique monthly visitors category.
"The Last Wild Place"

2018 Asian American Journalists Association Awards

First Place
Multimedia Award for General Excellence
"The Last Wild Place"

2018 Asian American Journalists Association Awards

Radio/Audio Award for Asian-American Pacific Islander Issues
"Offshore Podcast: Confronting Faith"

2018 Religion News Association Awards

First Place
Excellence in Radio or Podcast Religion Reporting
"Offshore Podcast: Confronting Faith"

2018 National Awards for Education Reporting

Finalist
Feature Stories, Small Staff
“Building Bridges To Micronesian Students“

2018 National Awards for Education Reporting

Finalist
Beat Reporting, Small Staff

2018 Society of Features Journalism

First Place
Integrated Storytelling
The Last Wild Place

2018 Society of Environmental Journalists

Honorable Mention
Outstanding Beat Reporting, Small Market
The Last Wild Place

2017 Society of Environmental Journalists

Third Place
Kevin Carmody Award for Outstanding In-Depth Reporting, Small Market
"Pacific Outpost"

2016 Best In Business, Society of American Business Editors and Writers

First Place, Airlines/Travel
"Dying For Vacation"

2016 Online Journalism Awards

First Place
Feature, Small Newsroom
“The Harbor: This Waianae Homeless Camp Is Not What You’d Expect”

2015 Online Journalism Awards

Finalist
General Excellence in Online Journalism
CivilBeat.org

82nd National Headliner Awards

Second Place
Local News Beat Coverage
“The Harbor” series

16th Annual Ancil Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism

Honorable Mention
Jessica Terrell, The Harbor series

2013 National Awards for Education Reporting

Second Place, Single-Topic News or Feature, Small Newsrooms
“Learning Hilo”

2013 National Awards for Education Reporting

First Place
Beat Reporting, Small Newsroom

2013 Online Journalism Awards

First Place
Explanatory Reporting
“The Ala Wai Canal: Hawaii’s Biggest Mistake?”

2013 Online Journalism Awards

First Place
The Gannett Foundation Award for Innovative Investigative Journalism
“In The Name of the Law”

Regional Awards

2023 Best of the West

First Place
Social Justice Reporting
"UXO: Lethal Legacy"

2022 Best of the West

Second Place
Editorial Writing
"Free The Covid Cluster Data. Tell Us Where Outbreaks Are Occurring"

2019 Best of the West

Third Place
Audio Storytelling
"Offshore, Season 3: The Blood Calls"

2019 Best of the West

Third Place
General Interest Column Writing
Denby Fawcett, Honolulu Civil Beat

2018 Best of the West

Second Place
Podcast
"Offshore -- The Sacred Mountain, Episode 2"

2018 Best of the West

Second Place
Editorial Writing
"Sanctuary State: Hawaii Must Stand Up For Its Values"

2017 Best of the West

Third Place
Special Topic, Column

2017 Best of the West

Second Place
News Slideshow
Marine Helicopter Crew Memorial Service

2016 Best of the West

First Place
Immigration and Border Reporting
“The Micronesians”

2016 Best of the West

First Place
Online Presentation
“The Micronesians”

2015 Best of the West

First Place
Editorial Writing
civilbeat.org

Local Awards

2021 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Science Reporting
"How The Red Hill Fuel System Has Threatened Oahu's Drinking Water For Decades"

2021 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Investigative Reporting
"The Police Files: Arbitration"

2021 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Online News Reporting
"Death Behind Bars: In Hawaii, The Death Of A Prisoner Is Often A Closely Held Secret"

2020 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Best Multimedia Presentation

2020 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Investigative Reporting

2020 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Editorial Opinion

2020 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Government Reporting
‘Borderline Criminal’: Honolulu Not Following CDC Advice For Homeless

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Online Feature Reporting
"The Scramble To Recruit New Teachers And Keep Them In Hawaii"

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Best Multimedia Presentation
"The Last Wild Place"

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Column Writing or Blog/News

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Column Writing or Blog/Features or Sports

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Health Reporting

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Editorial Opinion

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Best Explanatory Journalism
"Guam's Day Of Reckoning After Decades Of Sex Abuse"

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Investigative Reporting
This Honolulu Toddler Nearly Died In An Assault But No Charges Filed

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Public Service Reporting
"Waiting in Pain"

2017 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Online News Reporting
"How One Woman's Snorkeling Death May Help Save Lives"

2016 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Investigative Reporting
“Hawaii School Aide Said He Saw Abuse Then He Got Fired”

2016 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Editorial Opinion
“The Only Cure For Our Police Blues? Put The Chief On Permanent Leave”

2016 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Online Feature Reporting
“Living Hawaii: The Pipe Dream Of Teaching In Paradise Goes Global”

2016 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

Public Service Award
“Dying For Vacation”

2016 SPJ Hawaii Chapter

First Place
Online News Reporting
“The Brutal Reality Of Owning A Condo In Hawaii