The Acorn Newspapers, a local publication, scored six First Place finishes in the 2026 California Journalism Awards contest hosted by the California News Publishers Association (CNPA). The contest, which reviewed thousands of entries from large urban newspapers to small rural publications, recognized excellence in reporting, writing, research, creativity, and impact.

Awards Won

The Acorn excelled in its class, with wins in Environment Reporting, Wildfire News Coverage, Technology Reporting, Travel/Tourism Writing, and two photography categories. Acorn editor John Loesing’s study on the region’s relationship with water took top honors in the CNPA Environment Reporting category.

Acorn reporter Eamon Murphy wrote several hard-hitting stories about the impact of dumping Palisades fire debris at the Calabasas Landfill, which won First Place in Wildfire News Coverage. The Acorn also won its first-ever top prize in the Technology Reporting category for a story on the local Las Virgenes Municipal Water District’s new desalination system.

In addition to these awards, The Acorn won two photography awards, including a First Place win in the Sports Action Photo category for a photo of Oak Park High School swimmer Jennie Wang.

Original reporting: Thousand Oaks Acorn — read the source article.