NBC News journalist and “Today” co-host Craig Melvin will receive the Los Angeles Press Club’s 2026 President’s Award for Impact on Media at next month’s 68th Southern California Journalism Awards Gala, organizers announced Thursday.
The gala will be held June 28 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Melvin, a veteran television journalist whose career spans 25 years, also serves as host of “Dateline” and as a fill-in anchor for “NBC Nightly News.”
“We are honored to celebrate Craig Melvin at the SoCal Journalism Awards Gala,” Los Angeles Press Club President Danny Bakewell Jr. said in a statement. “His stellar 25-year career, starting in South Carolina and rising to the pinnacle of our industry, is a testament to his unwavering dedication to the highest standards in professional news coverage.”
The event will also honor journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa with the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism, organizers said.
ABC7 sports anchor Rob Fukuzaki will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, while attorney Carol Sobel will receive the Guardian Award for Contributions to Press Freedom.
Organizers said the gala is expected to draw about 550 journalists and media executives and serves as a fundraiser supporting the Los Angeles Press Club’s educational programs, journalism grants, scholarships and mentorship efforts for young journalists from underserved communities.