Curtis will be honored during the 2026 Indigenous Media Awards banquet on July 24
The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA) has selected Chelsea Curtis (Diné) as the recipient of the 2026 Richard LaCourse Award for Investigative Journalism for her groundbreaking work using digital tools to document Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) and to create an interactive reporting database and map at the Arizona Luminaria.
The Richard LaCourse Award for Investigative Journalism honors groundbreaking work by journalists who serve as community watchdogs using innovative storytelling and reporting tools. Special consideration is given to journalism that helps Indigenous communities understand and address pressing issues.
In her nomination letter, Becky Pallack, co-founder of the Arizona Luminaria, said Curtis’s work is already impacting law and policy within the state.
“Her work demonstrates what is possible when an Indigenous journalist combines deep community trust, rigorous data skills, and relentless public records advocacy. It is exactly the kind of groundbreaking, community-serving investigative journalism the LaCourse Award was created to recognize,” Pallack said.
Arizona Luminaria is a nonprofit newsroom founded in 2021 and dedicated to local, community‑centered journalism, primarily across Southern Arizona. Luminaria focuses on in‑depth reporting shaped by the people it serves, using a “listen first” approach to identify the issues Arizonans care about most.
Distinguished award nominees are nominated by their peers. The IJA distinguished awards committee, made up of seven IJA members and led by the IJA board president, then selects the best candidate for each award that has a qualified nominee.
“While we had some incredibly strong nominations for the Richard LaCourse award, Chelsea’s work in nearly single-handedly building a database coupled with strong narrative work that had an impact on state legislation is what ultimately made her the best candidate for the esteemed Richard LaCourse Award,” said Sunnie Clahchischiligi, IJA president. “Chelsea’s work is exemplary of strong Indigenous journalism that is both innovative and influential.”
About Chelsea Curtis
Chelsea Curtis (Diné) is a journalist at Arizona Luminaria, where she reports on data, public safety systems and the lived experiences of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People across Arizona. She spearheaded the state’s first-of-its-kind MMIP database and interactive map, earning her the 2024 Virg Hill Arizona Journalist of the Year award. Her recent investigative reporting on critical failures in Arizona’s new missing person alert system for Indigenous people also earned her a 2026 Breaking Barriers Award from the Institute for Nonprofit News. Before joining Luminaria, Chelsea covered criminal justice and breaking news at The Arizona Republic and local news at Today’s News-Herald in Lake Havasu City and the Arizona Daily Sun in Flagstaff.
