The Valley of the Sun SPJ has developed a robust awards program to honor journalists that fulfill the SPJ mission, defense of the First Amendment, support of literacy, resistance to censorship, advocacy for openness of public records and meetings, media self-criticism and community service. In addition, we work to foster these values in younger journalists by offering scholarships to Arizona students pursuing a career in journalism.

A call for entries for our awards and/or scholarship programs is announced annually via the Phoenix SPJ Blog and is emailed to newsrooms and colleges across the state.