NC Health News won 10 awards — including three first-place awards — in the annual North Carolina Press Association contest for 2026.
Staff also won two second-place and five third-place awards.
The press association honored work published from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. NC Health News was judged among its peers in the online-only category, which has become increasingly competitive, including about 20 publications.
The North Carolina Press Association will honor winners — and announce any special awards — on Sept. 10 at a banquet in Cary.
NC Health News founder and editor Rose Hoban won first place for a series of columns on the impact of federal cuts to scientific research.
Hoban, along with reporters Jaymie Baxley and Grace Vitaglione, won first place for a breaking news story about the Healthy Opportunities Pilot preparing to close down after losing state funding.
Reporter Rachel Crumpler took first place in beat reporting for her coverage of critical health issues in North Carolina’s prison population.
“I’m so proud to lead this talented team of reporters,” Hoban said. “These stories are only a sample of the terrific work they do every week, work that helps people in our state better understand the health care policies that affect their lives.”
In addition to the state press awards, longtime mental health reporter Taylor Knopf was recognized earlier this year by The American Society of Journalists and Authors for her coverage of ongoing problems at Holly Hill psychiatric hospital in Raleigh.
Knopf won an honorable mention for excellence in reporting in the national competition for stories about the state finding repeated failures at Holly Hill after a violent patient uprising and the hospital’s plans to expand services despite years of serious safety violations.
The judges said Knopf’s stories were exceptional, in part, because of the effort she took to “comb[ed] through 700 pages of government documents to clearly demonstrate massive financial fraud at a regional hospital which not only cheated taxpayers but horrendously impacted patients. … Because of the shoe leather expended in researching empirical evidence and analyzing those facts for the big picture, these articles were standouts.”
Below are links to the work recognized by the Press Association.
First place
Rose Hoban for serious columns tackling the issues of “What we lose when we cut federal funding for science.” Hoban’s columns appear in NC Health News’ twice-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the free newsletter to read her latest columns.
Editor Rose Hoban, Medicaid reporter Jaymie Baxley and legislative reporter Grace Vitaglione for breaking news: Healthy Opportunities Pilot told to prepare for program to shutter July 1
Rachel Crumpler, our reporter covering prison health issues, received a beat reporting nod for her work. Read the stories:
- How incarcerated people are helping prevent suicide behind bars
- Few released under NC law that allows seriously ill incarcerated people to spend their final days at home
- NC prison system strained by growing need for long-term care
- NC prisons face ‘dire’ staffing crisis
Second place
Environmental health reporter Will Atwater has been following his interest to document the emerging dangers of microplastics. For one of his stories, he received a citation for feature writing: Waterways to wombs: threats of plastic pollution
Rose Hoban for serious columns on “How we fail people with mental health issues.” These columns also appeared in our twice-weekly newsletter.
Third place
Jennifer Fernandez, education reporting: NC inventor/former teacher’s 3D-printed tiles are helping children learn to read
Staff (Rose Hoban, Rachel Crumpler, Taylor Knopf and Grace Vitaglione), election/political reporting: RFK Jr.’s federal health department cuts sow confusion, uncertainty and fear in North Carolina
Rachel Crumpler and Rose Hoban, general news: North Carolinians cope with SNAP benefits freeze, navigate new food insecurities
Our social media associate, Tyler Auffhammer, won for our use of social media. Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Jennifer Fernandez, illustration/graphic: Childhood vaccination schedule changes
The post NC Health News wins 10 awards in state press contest appeared first on North Carolina Health News.
