Past Winners 2009: Karyn Spencer Omaha World-Herald 2008: Jonathan Schuppe The Newark Star-Ledger 2007: Robert Rogers The Sun San Bernadino, Calif. 2006: John Diedrich Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Related Stories 2005: Amber Hunt Martin Detroit Free Press 2004: Del Quentin Wilber Baltimore Sun 2003: Stacy Finz San Francisco Chronicle 2002: Stephanie Warsmith Akron Beacon Journal 2001: Brigid O'Malley Naples Daily News Second Place Vanessa Ho Seattle Post-Intelligencer 2000: Tom Searls Charleston Gazette Second Place Dawn Hobbs Santa Barbara News-Press 1999: Sean Gardiner The Florida Times-Union. 1998: Mark Truby The Huntington Herald-Dispatch 1997: Andy Furillo The Sacramento Bee 1996: Pamela Hill Northwest Arkansas Times 1995: Melvin Claxton Virgin Islands Daily News 1994: William Hermann The Arizona Republic 1993: J.D. Mullane Bucks County Courier Times 1992: Scott Bowles The Detroit News 1991: Diana K. Sugg The Sacramento Bee

Prize: $2,000
Entry Deadline Feb. 1, 2010

The 2010 award will be given for work published between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2009.

Eligible are individual reporters working at newspapers, wire services and online news sources in the United States who regularly cover police and crime. Entries may be a single story or a body of work, not to exceed six stories. An individual's entry may include one or two double bylined stories. Entrants may submit online reporting of breaking news along with a final published story.

There is no application form, but entries must be accompanied by a letter describing any special circumstances affecting the work, such as deadline pressures, and why the individual's work is outstanding. The letter may be written by the reporter or his or her editor.

Entries need not be elaborate but must include the letter and should be presented in a way that makes them easy for the judges to handle. For example: original tear sheets or photo copies of tear sheets mounted and bound together in some fashion, with the letter attached.

Entry fee is $50 per person. Checks should be made out to University of Colorado Al Nakkula Award. Judging will be done by an independent panel.

All entries become the property of the award committee and cannot be returned.

Entries must be postmarked by Feb. 1, 2010.

Send to:
Al Nakkula Award Committee
c/o The University of Colorado
School of Journalism and Mass Communication
478 UCB
1511 University Avenue
Boulder, Colorado 80309-0478
Contact: Beth Gaeddert 303-492-0460

Sponsors:
CU School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Denver Press Club.