SIIA Media Announces Winners for the 2026 Jesse H. Neal Awards

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SIIA Media announces the winners of the 72nd Annual Jesse H. Neal Awards, recognizing excellence in business-to-business (B2B) journalism. The Neal Awards recognize the most impactful and innovative reporting across industries. A total of 74 winners were selected, culminating in the highly coveted Grand Neal Award, a testament to unparalleled journalistic merit across all domains. The awards were presented on Tuesday, April 21, at The Yale Club.

This year’s Grand Neal was awarded to Aviation Week & Space Technology (Informa Markets) for its September 1-14, 2025 issue. The issue exemplifies extraordinary B2B journalism at its very best, including accompanying video and podcast components. The cover story was about how China is taking the lead in advanced air mobility. Other standout coverage included a report on the Airbus A320 about to overtake Boeing’s 737 as the most-produced airliner ever and expert reporting of the mid-air collision between a commercial jet and an Army helicopter near Washington.

The first runner-up was Fierce Healthcare (Questex) for “When the Hospital Leaves Town” detailing the impact on rural communities when hospitals close; second runner-up was Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society) for its Chemistry and Wildfires series that examined the unique chemistry of wildfire and how it might affect air quality and human health; and third runner-up was DTN/Progressive Farmer for its Finding Financing for Farming package on how lenders work with farmers to assist with financing.

In addition to the editorial honors, SIIA Media presented several leadership awards recognizing mentorship, vision and editorial integrity.

• Ayla Ellison, Editor-in-Chief, Fierce Life Sciences and Healthcare, was named the 2026 McAllister Editorial Fellow. The Fellowship promotes the study of business media by placing fellows as guest lecturers and advisors at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
• Jef Akst, Managing Editor, BioSpace, was selected as the winner of the Marianne Dekker Mattera Mentorship Award. This award honors leaders who excel in mentoring and is presented in memory of Dekker, the long-time Editor in Chief of RNMagazine and Medical Economics, to reflect her legacy of mentorship.
• The 58th Annual G.D. Crain Jr. Award was presented to Gina Acosta, former Editorial Director, Progressive Grocer (Ensemble IQ). The annual award is given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the development of editorial excellence in business media over the course of a career.
• The Timothy White award was presented to Aviation Week, Breaking Defense, Defense & Aerospace Report, Defense Daily, Defense One, Defense News/Military Times, Inside Defense, and USNI News. The award is given to editors whose work displays courage, integrity, and passion. This year’s winners were recognized for a joint letter responding to the Department of Defense media restrictions that were recently held unconstitutional. This award was established to acknowledge the daily challenges and pressures that editors face.

“These awards represent the highest standard of excellence in B2B journalism,” said Chris Mohr, President of SIIA. “It provides key intelligence for virtually every industry: agriculture, aviation, health care, and finance to name just a few. This year’s Awards recognize outstanding reporting and demonstrate the essential role of B2B media in informing industries, governments and the public. Congratulations to this year’s winners and our sincere thanks to the judges for their time and thoughtful evaluation of the entries.”

Visit the Neal Awards online gallery to view all the 2026 winners and finalists.

About Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)
SIIA is an umbrella association representing nearly 400 technology, data and media companies and associations globally. Industry leaders work through SIIA’s divisions to address issues and challenges that impact their industry segments with the goal of driving innovation and growth for the industry and each member company. This is accomplished through in-person and online business development opportunities, peer networking, corporate education, intellectual property protection and government relations. For more information, visit www.siia.net.

About SIIA Media
SIIA Media represents the companies producing trusted content, data, and insights for professional and enthusiast audiences. We help media leaders navigate transformation, grow their businesses, and elevate their brands. Members gain industry intelligence and benchmarking, curated networking with media executives, thought leadership and speaking opportunities, and recognition through prestigious industry awards. Learn more: siia.net/siia-media