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The Japan Newspaper Association hosts the Newspaper Association Awards every year to recognize outstanding reporting activities, and this time the results of the first round of selection for 2026 were announced.
On the 21st, the Japan Newspaper Association announced the 17 works that passed the first round of the 2026 Newspaper Association Awards.
The works were selected from a total of 106 entries submitted by 50 newspaper, communication, and broadcasting companies that are members of the association. In the ``News'' category, five works were selected, including Asahi Shimbun's ``A series of scoops and related reports regarding the illegal taking of information on secondment companies by Nippon Life Insurance.''
Passing works can be viewed on the association's website (www.pressnet.or.jp/journalism/). The winning works will be decided and announced on September 2nd.
■Newspaper Association Awards Works that passed the first round of selection in each category
[News] A series of scoops and related reports regarding Nippon Life Insurance's illegal taking of secondment information (Asahi Shimbun) ▽ "Prime Minister considers dissolving the House of Representatives" "House of Representatives vote counting" A series of scoops and investigative reports on the fentanyl smuggling issue (Nihon Keizai Shimbun); A series of scoops and related reports on "Remains at the atomic bomb memorial tower identified through DNA testing" (Chugoku Shimbun); Investigative report "Distorted relationships - tracing Fukuoka prefectural government" (Nishinippon Shimbun)
[Photo/Video news] "An endless chain of sadness" A series of photo reports two years after the battle in Gaza (Kyodo News) ▽ A large-scale fire in Saganoseki, Oita City (Oita Godo Shimbun) ▽ Okinawa Prefecture's first Koshien V in 15 years (Okinawa Times)
[Photo/Video Planning] NIKKEI Film "Mega Drought" hitting the southwestern United States - Battle for water resources and investment money (Nihon Keizai Shimbun) ▽Seto Inland sea kayaking trip across the island (Sanyo Shimbun) ▽NHK Special "Brown Bear Living in a Strange Sea" (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The winning works for the 2026 Newspaper Association Awards will be decided and announced on September 2nd.
Very likely · Within months

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The Japan Newspaper Association has announced the 2026 Newspaper Association Awards. In the news category, Nishinippon Shimbun's investigative reporting on Fukuoka prefectural government was selected. Kyoto Shimbun and Kobe Shimbun received awards in the planning category, while Kyodo News, Sanyo Shimbun and NHK received awards in the photography and video categories.
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