SOURCE Southern Environmental Law Center

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) announced the finalists for the 2026 Phillip D. Reed Environmental Writing Award today. The work of this year's finalists spans a wide range of environmental issues-from threats to wildlife and shrinking habitats to clean water, environmental injustices affecting Southern communities, and the pressures our region faces from data centers, energy demands, and the accelerating realities of climate change.

Presented each year, the Reed Award celebrates writers who achieve both literary excellence and offer extraordinary insight into the South's natural treasures and environmental challenges. The award recognizes writers in two categories: the Book Category for works of nonfiction (not self-published) and the Journalism Category for newspaper, magazine, and online writing published by a recognized institution such as a news organization, university, or nonprofit group. 

2026 book category finalists:

2026 journalism category finalists:

Reed Award winners are selected by a national panel of judges that includes leading environmental writers, journalists, and advocates.

Winners will be announced in early February 2026. There will be an award ceremony honoring the winners held on Friday, March 20, in Charlottesville, Virginia, in conjunction with the Virginia Festival of the Book. For last year's event, we welcomed more than 300 attendees in person, with an additional 200+ joining virtually via live stream. The event will also be available online the following week.

Southern Environmental Law Center
The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation's most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region's air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 200, including more than 100 attorneys, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. selc.org

Reed Environmental Writing Award
SELC annually presents the 2026 Phillip D. Reed Environmental Writing Award for outstanding writing in memory of Phillip D. Reed, a founding trustee of SELC who helped guide our organization through the early years before his untimely death in 1993. A talented attorney, committed environmental activist, and editor of the widely read Environmental Law Reporter, Phil was known for his ebullient spirit and inquiring intellect.

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