Ann M. Sperber Prize
The Sperber Prize is given in honor of Ann M. Sperber, the author of the excellent biography of Edward R. Murrow, Murrow: His Life and Times (Fordham University Press). The book received numerous awards for its meticulous research and finely crafted writing and was a finalist in 1987 for the Pulitzer Prize. Through the generous support of Ann’s mother, Lisette, the prize was established to promote and encourage other outstanding biographies, autobiographies and memoirs related to the field of media and journalism.
2025 Winner & Distinguished Career Award
This year's Ann M. Sperber Prize is awarded to Ali Velshi for Small Acts of Courage: A Legacy of Endurance and the Fight for Democracy (St. Martin’s Press)
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the prize, a special Distinguished Career Award will be presented to Connie Chung for Connie: A Memoir (Grand Central Publishing)
Ali Velshi’s Small Acts of Courage is both a family memoir and a meditation on democratic values. Tracing his family’s journey across continents—from India to Africa, and ultimately to Canada and the United States—Velshi illuminates how histories of migration and displacement shaped his values. Interwoven with these stories is a call for resilience, pluralism, and moral clarity.
Connie Chung’s memoir traces her groundbreaking career as one of the first women and the first Asian American to anchor a major network evening newscast. With candor, warmth, and humor, Chung recounts her rise in television news, her memorable interviews with presidents and world leaders, and the challenges of navigating gender and racial barriers.