FLORIDA TODAY's Brevard County space team has won the USA TODAY Co.'s top award for beat reporting. Reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards received first place for their coverage of the record-breaking 109 launches from the Space Coast in 2025, including the debut of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. The award highlights the team's in-depth reporting on how the growing space industry is reshaping the region.
Neale traveled to SpaceX's Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, in 2025 to document the impact of Starship testing on local communities. He returned with interviews and analysis on what Space Coast residents might expect when Starship operations begin here. Edwards focused on changes at Kennedy Space Center and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's vision for the agency. Their work combined video, photography, and data to track the industry's rapid expansion.
The judges called the reporting a 'master class in owning a beat' that balanced 'major news with community impact.' Photographers Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark, and Tim Shortt were credited for their imagery capturing launch details and industry developments. Their work appears in FLORIDA TODAY's regular coverage of Space Coast aerospace activity.
Engagement Editor John A. Torres was a finalist for investigative reporting on the 2023 wrongful murder conviction of Jeff Abramowski. His series, 'Exposing and Correcting a Wrongful Murder Conviction,' relied on public records and original reporting to reveal flaws in the justice system. Both the space team's and Torres' work were recognized at the USA TODAY Co.'s annual awards ceremony in June 2026.