View the 2026 Contest Winners Gallery
2026 Contest Judges
Elizabeth Conley is a visual journalist at the Houston Chronicle in Houston, Texas, where she covers long-form projects, sporting events, and the day-to-day stories that matter most to the community. Prior to moving to Houston, she spent 12 years at The Detroit News, focusing on sports and in-depth storytelling. While she values the scale of major assignments, she is most drawn to moments of trust—when someone lets her into their life, even briefly. When not on assignment, Conley can be found traveling, hiking any elevation she can find, reading by a body of water, or practicing her press handstand. She lives in Houston with her adorable doodle, Bento, and equally adorable husband, Masahito.
Matt Gade is a photojournalist based in the Black Hills of South Dakota. After nearly 20 years working for newspapers, in late 2024, he transitioned to a sports-based online publication called 605 Sports as their top photographer. In addition to his regular sports coverage, he continues to take photos of various news and events throughout the region whenever possible. A native Nebraskan, Matt earned a BA in journalism from Midland University in 2008 and an MA in visual communication management from Ohio University as their Knight Fellow in 2020-21. Matt has had some luck in POY and BOP. Would say he bribed the judges, but anyone who’s worked for newspapers knows you can’t afford to do that.
Bita Honarvar is photo editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Prior to returning to the AJC, where she previously worked as a staff photojournalist and photo editor for 16 years, she worked as senior photo editor at Vox.com; Visuals Editor at Gravy, a quarterly publication from the Southern Foodways Alliance; and as a freelance photographer for news, corporate, higher education, and individual clients. She has a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University, and serves on the board of the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, the longest continuously-operating photojournalism conference in the U.S.
