The Bill Nunn Memorial Award is bestowed annually by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) to a reporter for their "long and distinguished contribution to pro football through coverage". It is named after Bill Nunn Jr., who worked for 22 years at the Pittsburgh Courier.
The award was created in 1969 and was originally named the Dick McCann Memorial Award, after Dick McCann, the first director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The name was changed in 2021 due to McCann's association with the segregationist policies of the Washington Redskins when he was the team's general manager.
The award is presented annually at the Pro Football Hall Enshrinement Ceremony. Prior to 2014, the presentation was made at the Enshrinees Dinner. While the list of Nunn Award honorees is sometimes referred to as the "writer's wing" of the Hall of Fame, they are not actually Hall of Famers, do not receive gold jackets or bronze busts, and as of 2025, none of the Nunn Award winners have been inducted.
Award recipients YearAwardeePublication1969George StricklerChicago Tribune1970Arthur DaleyThe New York Times1971Joe KingNew York World-Telegram and Sun1972Lewis AtchisonWashington Star1973Dave BradyThe Washington Post1974Bob OatesLos Angeles Times1975John SteadmanBaltimore News-American1976Jack HandAssociated Press1977Art DaleyGreen Bay Press-Gazette1978Murray OldermanNewspaper Enterprise Association1979Pat LivingstonPittsburgh Press1980Chuck HeatonCleveland Plain Dealer1981Norm MillerNew York Daily News1982Cameron SnyderBaltimore Morning Sun1983Hugh BrownPhiladelphia Bulletin1984Larry FelserBuffalo News1985Cooper RollowChicago Tribune1986Bill WallaceThe New York Times1987Jerry MageeSan Diego Union1988Gordon ForbesUSA Today1989Vito StellinoThe Baltimore Sun1990Will McDonoughThe Boston Globe1991Dick ConnorDenver Post1992Frank LuksaDallas Morning News1993Ira MillerSan Francisco Chronicle1994Don PiersonChicago Tribune1995Ray DidingerPhiladelphia Daily News1996Paul ZimmermanSports Illustrated1997Bob RoeslerNew Orleans Times-Picayune1998Dave AndersonThe New York Times1999Art SpanderOakland Tribune2000Tom McEwenTampa Tribune2001Len ShapiroThe Washington Post2002Edwin PopeMiami Herald2003Joel BuchsbaumPro Football Weekly2004Rick GosselinDallas Morning News2005Jerry GreenDetroit News2006John McClainHouston Chronicle2007John ClaytonESPN.com2008Len PasquarelliESPN.com2009Peter KingSports Illustrated2010Pete FinneyNew Orleans Times-Picayune2011Bob McGinnMilwaukee Journal-Sentinel2012Tom KowalskiMLive.comZaroo, Philip. "Tom Kowalski selected to receive Dick McCann Award by Pro Football Writers Association," MLive.com, Friday, June 22, 2012. Retrieved December 10, 20172013 Dan PompeiChicago Tribune2014 Ed BouchettePittsburgh Post-Gazette2015 Dave GoldbergAssociated Press2016 Chris MortensenESPN.comSando, Mike. "ESPN's Chris Mortensen presented with Dick McCann Award," ESPN.com, Saturday, August 6, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 20172017 Ed WerderESPN.com"Ed Werder Selected As PFWA's 2017 Dick McCann Award Winner," Pro Football Hall of Fame, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. Retrieved December 10, 20172018 Charean WilliamsPro Football Talk2019 Sam FarmerLos Angeles Times2020 Don BanksSports Illustrated2021 Bob GlauberNewsday2022 Jarrett BellUSA Today2023 Jim TrotterThe Athletic2024 D. Orlando Ledbetter Atlanta Journal-Constitution2025 Mary Kay Cabot Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland.com2026 Barry Wilner The Associated Press
See also BBWAA Career Excellence Award - Baseball Hall of Fame's comparative award (Baseball Writers' Association of America) Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award
References
External links Bill Nunn Memorial Award at the Pro Football Hall of Fame