Categories span print and online, television, audio production and communications, with divisions for professionals and students

Nominations for the Press Club of Toledo’s annual Touchstone Awards are being accepted now through July 15. There are 20 categories spanning print and online, television, audio production and communications, with divisions for both professionals and students.

To be eligible for a 2026 Touchstone Award, the work must have been produced or published between May 15, 2025 and May 14, 2026. Nominations are judged by a panel of journalism professionals from outside the Toledo region.

Entry fees for Touchstone Award nominations are $10 for students, $25 for Press Club members and $75 for nonmembers. Nonmembers can also submit a nomination and become a first-time individual Press Club member for $50.

The Emerging News Media Professional Award honors an early-career news media professional who demonstrates integrity and a commitment to public service. Nominees must have fewer than five years of professional experience. Nominations will be reviewed by a panel of former Press Club presidents and board members. There is no entry fee for Emerging News Media Professional Award nominations.

Nomination forms for both the Touchstone Awards and the Emerging News Media Professional Award are available at toledopressclub.com.

The 2026 Touchstone Awards ceremony returns to the Valentine Theatre on Thursday, Sept. 10. The ceremony honors the best in local journalism and recognizes the achievements of area journalists and communications professionals from the past year.

The Touchstone Awards ceremony is also a fundraiser for the Press Club of Toledo’s scholarship fund. Two scholarships are awarded at the ceremony to students from Bowling Green State University and The University of Toledo who epitomize service and dedication to the profession of journalism. The scholarships are named in honor of two longtime Toledo Blade employees: Kurt G. Franck and Bernard F. Judy.

Tickets for the Touchstone Awards ceremony are on sale now at toledopressclub.com, with discounts for Press Club members, nominees and students. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.