The Lawrence Times news team has been honored to receive numerous recognitions from professional journalism associations and universities’ journalism schools.
The Times, founded in February 2021, started publishing in March 2021. Despite our publication’s relative youth compared to peers, these awards have helped to cement that the work we do is not only important to our community but also well respected in our field.
We sincerely appreciate our colleagues’ encouragement, and more than anything, the community support that allows us to keep doing this work.
If local journalism like this matters to you, please support The Lawrence Times.
Click here to subscribe.
Summaries of awards we’ve earned

Lawrence Times earns Best Investigative Story, Best Community Service Project and more from Kansas Press Association
The Lawrence Times news team has won seven first-place awards from the Kansas Press Association, including best Investigative Story and Best Community Service Project for our accountability work.

Lawrence Times, recognized as an essential news outlet filling local coverage gaps, selected for Press Forward grant
The Lawrence Times, filling key gaps in local Lawrence news, has been recognized with a grant that will help us expand the breadth and depth of our impact.

Lawrence Times places for several Awards of Excellence, including Photographer and Journalist of the Year
The Lawrence Times news team has been honored with six Awards of Excellence from the Kansas Press Association, including second place Photographer of the Year and third place Journalist of the Year.

Lawrence Times wins Best Coverage of Diversity, Best Website and numerous other honors from Kansas Press Association
The Lawrence Times news team has been recognized with 17 awards in the Kansas Press Association’s 2023 Awards of Excellence, including three first-place awards judged alongside all contest divisions.

Lawrence Times news team celebrates 3 prestigious awards and honors
The Lawrence Times news team on Thursday announced two prestigious new awards and an honorable mention recognizing the publication’s community journalism and investigative prowess.

Lawrence Times wins 4 Awards of Excellence from the Kansas Press Association
Our news team is thrilled to announce that after just our first year publishing, The Lawrence Times has been selected for four Awards of Excellence from the Kansas Press Association.
Award-winning work
The posts below are award-winning articles, projects, parts of series and/or contain award-winning photos or infographics.

Lawrence Times earns Best Investigative Story, Best Community Service Project and more from Kansas Press Association
The Lawrence Times news team has won seven first-place awards from the Kansas Press Association, including best Investigative Story and Best Community Service Project for our accountability work.

Don’t flake out: City of Lawrence seeks flurry of names for snowplows
It’s on: The City of Lawrence is challenging residents to participate in a snowplow naming contest.

2024 election guide for Lawrence and Douglas County voters
Big questions and representation at the local, state and national levels are on Lawrence voters’ ballots for the Nov. 5 general election. Here’s our key need-to-know election info, all in one place.

Many people heading to different camps as City of Lawrence closes Amtrak camp
About 20 people living among the trees behind the Amtrak station in East Lawrence are moving to other camps with assistance from the city as the Amtrak camp’s closure looms.

Tom Harper: Keep City Hall in downtown Lawrence where it belongs (Column)
”Our city hall communicates strength and has an aura of permanence … City hall must remain in the heart of our city: downtown,” Tom Harper writes in this column.

‘He did not just fall and die’: Lawrence mother pleads for answers about the death of her 3-year-old
Ilene Tolbert will always grieve the death of her 3-year-old son, Carter. But she’s still pushing for answers to the questions that have haunted her since 2020, hopeful that someday she’ll at least get closure.

Citing ‘miscommunication,’ district mows native plants, vegetable swales in Free State garden down to dirt
Multiple instances of mowing and other damage to Free State High School’s outdoor learning space is giving educators in that space the impression that the Lawrence school district is prioritizing looks over learning.

Tom Harper: Developments at 11th and Mass create excitement for historic downtown Lawrence (Column)
”Mr. Krsnich, we are counting on you to deliver a thoughtfully designed and beautiful development that will provide for the needs of our community … This project could very well be your legacy in our town,” Tom Harper writes in this column.

Lawrence ecologists’ efforts thwarted by mystery mowers, both mistaken and malfeasant
Much to his relief, Daniel Lassman’s yard, where he’s restoring native plants, was mowed by mistake rather than someone with ill intent. But other projects have been repeatedly destroyed by mystery mowers.

Not with a bang but a whimper: Lawrence drone show never takes off
With storms in the forecast again, one might have thought the weather would be the biggest concern for the drone show planned for Lawrence’s Summerfest. Rather, apparent network issues rained on the crowd’s parade as the dozens of tiny flying machines never took to the sky.
Watch for more award-winning journalism as it’s published
Page last updated April 9, 2025