Collier Prize for State Government Accountability
The Collier Prize for State Government Accountability is an annual American journalism award established in 2019 by the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. The prize recognizes outstanding investigative and political reporting focused on state government accountability and is presented at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.[1]
History
[edit]The prize was created to encourage in-depth coverage of state government after Nathan S. Collier, a descendant of Peter Fenelon Collier[2], founder of Collier’s Weekly, initiated an annual donation to the University. Each year, the Collier Prize awards first, second, and third place honors to journalistic works that exemplify excellence in state government reporting. First prize is $25,000, second is $5,000 and third is $2,500. Entries are accepted from all professional news organizations, regardless of platform or medium, including print, digital, broadcast and radio outlets.[3][4]
In 2024, Nathan Collier made an $8 million gift to the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications to permanently endow the prize and establish an annual symposium on state government-related accountability journalism.[5]
The journalism prize is administered by the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, with oversight from an appointed director.[6]
Winners
[edit]| Year | Winner | Winning project/work | Description |
| 2026 | KARE 11 | Housing Hustle[7] | Investigation into Medicare fraud scheme within Minnesota's Housing Stabilization. |
| 2025 | Associated Press | Prison to Plate: Profiting Off America’s Captive Workforce[8] | Investigation into the prison labor industrial complex. |
| 2024 | The Texas Tribune, ProPublica, and Frontline | Unprepared[9] | Investigation into the law-enforcement response to the Uvalde school shooting |
| 2023 | Los Angeles Times | Black Men Get Brunt Of State Bar’s Discipline[10] | Investigation into the State Bar of California to regulate and enforce the integrity of lawyers in the state. |
| 2022 | Miami Herald and ProPublica | Birth & Betrayal[11] | Investigation into Florida's oversight of children who suffered catastrophic brain injuries at birth. |
| 2021 | The Marshall Project and Mississippi Today | Mississippi Penal System, Uncovered[12] | Investigation into violence, financial improprieties, and debtors' prisons within the Mississippi penal system. |
| 2020 | The Oregonian | Polluted by Money[13] | Investigation into unlimited campaign contributions and oversight of political spending in Oregon. |
References
[edit]- ↑ Dolak, Kevin (2025-04-27). "White House Correspondents' Dinner Focuses on Awards, Journalism as Trump Snubs Comic-Free Soirée". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ↑ Aguila, Grethel (April 27, 2023). ""Miami Herald among Collier Award winners for investigation into DeSantis' migrant flights"". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
- ↑ "The Future of Journalism Could Start Here". Pulitzer Center. Retrieved 2025-10-23.
- ↑ "Investigative journalism is not dying, it's adapting". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2025-03-28.
- ↑ "UF's journalism college gifted $8 million from Gainesville developer Nathan Collier". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
- ↑ Journalism, Press Release | University of Florida College of; Communications (2024-07-15). "UF appoints veteran journalist Rick Hirsch as inaugural director of the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability". Editor and Publisher. Retrieved 2025-02-27.
- ↑ "Housing Hustle". Kare 11.
- ↑ "prison to plate stories". AP News. Archived from the original on 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2026-09-17.
- ↑ "Inside the Uvalde Response". FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site | Documentary Series. Retrieved 2026-09-17.
- ↑ "As Tom Girardi skated, California State Bar went after Black attorneys". Los Angeles Times. 2022-12-16. Retrieved 2026-09-17.
- ↑ Marbin Miller, Carol (2022-01-25). "When births go terribly wrong, Florida protects doctors and forces parents to pay the price". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2026-09-17.
- ↑ Santo, Alysia; Neff, Joseph (2020-02-20). ""Your Life Ain't Worth Two Ramen Noodle Packs"". The Marshall Project. Retrieved 2026-09-17.
- ↑ "Polluted by Money". The Oregonian - OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2026-09-17.
