Journalists at The Daily Memphian earned regional recognition for news and profile reporting, as well as arts and entertainment coverage from the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists’ 2026 Diamond Journalism Awards. The contest drew 591 entries and was open to publications, freelancers and student journalists in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. 

Reporter Samuel Hardiman and Metro Editor Jane Donahoe received first place in the general news category for a three-part series on the process of building Colossus, xAI’s first Memphis data center. 

The stories outline a year of meetings, permits, payments and construction, summarizing the relatively quick timeline for Elon Musk’s AI company’s data center and the community’s response. 

“The Colossus series took a deeper look into how one of the world’s largest data centers was built in record time and at the broader forces driving the artificial intelligence race,” Hardiman said. “The series, I hope, gave Memphians insight into how Memphis — and the world — are changing in almost real-time.”

In the arts and culture category, reporters Chris Herrington and Jody Callahan won for pieces remembering folk musician Todd Snider and his music. Callahan wrote the news site’s initial obituary of a “nomad storyteller” who launched his career from a local bar, while Herrington wrote his own remembrance of the musician. Herrington also wrote a retrospective of Snider’s work in Memphis, pointing to lyrics and songs that help understand his life and time in the Bluff City. 

Another winning piece, in the features category, was a Daily Memphian story on Marilyn Davis, the first COVID-19 patient in Memphis. The story, written by Jane Roberts and edited by Mary Cashiola, covered Shelby County health officials’ immediate response to the outbreak and Davis’ personal experience as she struggled with the virus and the unknown. 

Reporter Aarron Fleming and Donahoe were also finalists in the investigative reporting category for a series of six stories focused on the Shelby County Jail. They were: 

— Inmate deaths at Shelby County Jail outnumber other Tennessee counties
— ‘Everyone’s problem:’ 201 Poplar intake takes 3 days in ‘disgusting’ conditions
— ‘I was hoping he’d get some help … he (ended) up dying there.’
— 201 Poplar more crowded since Memphis Safe Task Force
— Second inmate in a week dies at 201 Poplar
— Recent inmates describe ‘inhumane’ crowding, filth, physical abuse at 201 Poplar, Jail East

In June, The Daily Memphian won multiple state press awards, including first place for investigative reporting on extreme speeding in Memphis. Two sports reporters with The Daily Memphian also took home first place in the Tennessee Sports Writers Association’s 2026 writing contest.