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The South Dakota NewsMedia Association is accepting nominees for its 2026 Eagle Award.

The award is given to an individual, group or organization that has demonstrated outstanding efforts to protect and promote openness and transparency in government.

“It takes courage to speak out to right a wrong or to prevent one from happening, and to ensure our elected officials are held accountable,” said Mark Watson, chair of the SDNA First Amendment Committee and editor of the Black Hills Pioneer, Spearfish. “Yet every year South Dakotans take those steps to ensure transparency and to protect our right to know about how the government is conducting the public’s business.”

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“The SDNA Eagle Award honors those who speak up to help protect the critical principle that a well-informed citizenry is at the heart of a thriving democracy,” Watson added.

The SDNA First Amendment Committee welcomes nominees for the 2026 Eagle Award to honor those who have demonstrated their commitment to the ideals of open government.

The first Eagle Award was given to the 2001 South Dakota Supreme Court for its efforts to open Supreme Court proceedings to media cameras.

Other recipients of the Eagle Award include Mitchell School Board member Rodney Hall (2003), South Dakota Attorney General Larry Long (2004), Yankton County Commissioner Brian Hunhoff (2005), Codington County State’s Attorney Vince Foley (2006), state Sen. Jason Gant and the staff of the South Dakota State University Collegian (2007), state Sen. Nancy Turbak Berry (2008), state Sen. Dave Knudson (2009), Sioux Falls resident Gordon Heber (2010), state Sen. Al Novstrup (2012), state Sen. Corey Brown (2016), Gov. Dennis Daugaard (2018), state Sen. Arthur Rusch (2019), state Rep. Tim Reed (2022) and journalist and educator Chuck Baldwin (posthumously 2024).

Any individual, group or organization that has demonstrated commitment to the ideals of open government in South Dakota is eligible to be nominated.

Nominations should be submitted via email to SDNA Executive Director David Bordewyk at sdna@sdna.com or mailed to SDNA Eagle Award, South Dakota NewsMedia Association, 1125 32nd Ave., Brookings, SD 57006.

The deadline for nominations is March 20.

Contact Bordewyk for more information about the award and nominations at (800) 658-3697.