The Native American Journalists Association will honor more than 250 members for their coverage of Indian country during the 2015 NAJA Media Awards banquet on July 11. ICTMN earned 26 awards this year, with the biggest honor going to Suzette Brewer, who was given the 2015 Richard LaCourse/Gannett Foundation Al Neuharth Investigative Journalism Award.

Brewer, who specializes in federal Indian law and social justice issues, spent most of 2014 extensively covering Indian Child Welfare Act cases from Oklahoma to California, Alaska to South Dakota. The Cherokee Nation member led the way for ICTMN awardees in the Professional category (Native) for Division III of online content (daily/weekly). She earned a first-place award for Excellence in Beat Reporting and a second-place in Best Feature Story, both for her ICWA coverage.

ICTMN and Publisher Ray Halbritter, Oneida Nation representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises, parent company of Indian Country Today Media Network, also took top honors for Best Digital Publication for its weekly newsletter This Week From Indian Country Today; and for General Excellence. Halbritter will introduce Amanda Blackhorse as the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony; he'll also receive an individual award in the Best Editorial category for his Publisher's Letter, which placed third.

D.C. Bureau Chief Rob Capriccioso earned a second-place nod in Excellence in Beat Reporting for his coverage, with Nick Estes and Melanie K. Yazzie receiving the third-place award for their Border Town series.

Dina Gilio-Whitaker received two third-place awards, for Best Sports Story and Best Column.

Other first-place honors for ICTMN correspondents went to Amanda Blackhorse for Best Column; Keith Brave Heart for Best Feature Photo; and Amy Morris for Best Sports Photo.

Opinion Editor Ray Cook received a second-place award for Best Editorial, Jonnie Tate Walker earned a second-place honor for Best Column, and Kenny Frost took second for Best Sports Photo.

Adrian Jawort earned a third-place honor for Best News Story.

In the Associates division (non-Native), 10 awards were given out, with ICTMN earning nine, led by Stephanie Woodard, who received four awards. She earned first- and second-place honors for Best Coverage of Native Americans; and third-place honors for Best News Story. Woodard also took third place honors in the Best Feature Story category for a piece in Bill Moyers.com.

Alysa Landry took first and second honors for Best News Story; Gale Courey Toensing earned the lone award for Best Environmental Story and a second-place honor for Best Feature Story.

Richard Walker earned a first-place award for Best Feature Story, and Tanya H. Lee completed the awards for ICTMN with a third-place win for Best Coverage of Native Americans.

The Professional Division I Print was led by The Eastern Door which earned 11 awards, with Steve Bonspiel receiving seven of them. Sho-Ban News earned seven awards.

Cheyenne Arapaho TV took four awards in the Professional Division II TV category; with Mvskoke Radio earning three in Division II Radio.

Osage News led the way in Professional Division II Print awards earning 15 honors. Shannon Shaw Duty earned six awards for the publication. Osage News also earned two awards in the Professional Division II Online category.

FNX and Cherokee Phoenix earned two awards each in Professional Division III TV. Native American Calling and KNBA – Koahnic Broadcasting both had three in Radio.

The Navajo Times was the big winner in the Professional Division III Print categories pulling in 26 awards. Donovan Quintero led the way for the newspaper with 10 awards. The Navajo Times also earned Best Layout and General Excellence honors.

Other honors announced included the 2015 NAJA Medill Milestone Achievement Award to Dennis McAuliffe Jr., an editor at The Washington Post for more than 20 years; and the 2015 NAJA Free Press Award won by the staff of The Playwickian; Gillian McGold, editor and Tara Huber, advisor.

The following are the complete Professional Division III award winners and Associate Division III winners: