How NSNC Recognizes Columnists Through Awards

Updated

The National Society of Newspaper Columnists (NSNC) recognizes columnists through awards that honor achievement in column writing, and the organization's site highlights these honors by naming individual columnists—for example, a featured item notes that "Derrick Jackson [was] honored with awards this season." The available site material confirms that awards are part of how NSNC spotlights columnists, but it does not list award categories, judging criteria, entry rules, or deadlines. Use the organization's site as the starting point to see who is being recognized and what kind of work the group celebrates; check with NSNC directly for current award details.

What the Site Shows About Awards

The NSNC homepage presents awards as one of several ongoing activities alongside events, membership, and fundraising. The visible evidence is limited to a headline announcing that Derrick Jackson was honored with awards this season. That tells you:

  • NSNC publicly acknowledges columnists who receive awards.
  • Recognition is presented as news on the organization's main page, not buried in a separate archive.
  • The organization frames awards as part of its broader mission as "an organization for columnists and other writers of the serial essay, including bloggers, in any medium."

What the page does not provide: the names of specific NSNC award programs, eligibility requirements, submission windows, or judging standards. Those details would need to come from NSNC's own award pages or direct inquiry.

Why This Matters for Columnists

Awards serve two practical purposes for writers:

  1. Credibility signals. A recognized award can be cited in bios, pitches, and membership materials.
  2. Benchmarks for craft. Seeing which columnists are honored—and in what medium—helps writers understand what the organization values.

Because NSNC describes itself as serving columnists and serial-essay writers "in any medium," its recognition is not limited to print newspaper columns. Bloggers and online essayists fall within the stated scope, which is useful if your work appears primarily on the web.

How to Use the Awards Information

If you want to understand NSNC's standards or pursue recognition:

  • Start with the homepage. Look for award announcements and honoree names to see the range of writers recognized.
  • Check membership materials. The site promotes joining or renewing membership; members are often the first to receive award announcements and entry information.
  • Attend an online event. NSNC runs sessions such as "Opinionated" with Clay Wirestone, priced at $25 for members and $35 for non-members. Events like these are a low-cost way to learn how the organization views opinion and column writing.
  • Contact NSNC directly for the current award categories, deadlines, and submission process, since the public page evidence does not include them.

A Practical Example

Suppose you write a weekly opinion column on a local news site and want to know whether NSNC recognition is worth pursuing. You check the homepage, see that a columnist was recently honored, and note that the organization explicitly includes bloggers and online writers. You then join or renew membership to receive announcements, and you register for an online session to hear an opinion editor discuss the craft. From there, you ask NSNC for the award entry details. That sequence uses only what the site supports—recognition exists, membership and events are open—without assuming rules the page does not state.

Bottom Line

NSNC recognizes columnists through awards and publicizes honorees on its site, as shown by the Derrick Jackson announcement. The site confirms the fact of recognition but not the mechanics. For categories, criteria, and deadlines, treat the NSNC site and its membership/event channels as your entry points and confirm specifics with the organization.