The Florida Trib won six first-place awards in the Florida Society of News Editors’ 2026 journalism contest, including a prestigious gold medal for public service for “Cold-Blooded,” a series by Nichole Manna and Casey Frank about a decades-old Death Row conviction that raised questions about prosecutorial and judicial ethics, and which was cited in U.S. Supreme Court briefs.

The Trib won first place in every category it entered for publications of similar size. Other winning work included beat reporting on the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and breaking news reporting about a death in the Duval County jail that sparked community outrage. Manna was involved in all those reporting efforts.

“Cold-Blooded” won first place in the enterprise, features, and investigative categories, as well a gold medal, awarded each year for work that demonstrates “meritorious public service” through “distinguished reporting, writing and presentation.”

“This is well-deserved and totally unsurprising,” said Florida Trib Executive Editor Nate Monroe. “Nichole and Casey are singular talents, which is clear to everyone who has had the pleasure of working with them. I’m gratified the judges saw the value of this important, impactful work.”

Manna worked for months on Cold-Blooded, which was edited by Frank, who also assisted with reporting.

Nichole Manna is The Florida Trib’s Senior Investigative Reporter. She has been with the organization since 2023 and has covered the criminal justice system for more than a decade.

Manna is currently working with ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network to produce an investigative project.

Casey Frank is The Trib’s Special Project Editor. He joined The Tributary in fall 2024 after retiring as the senior editor in charge of the Miami Herald’s investigative team. Over a 10-year span, his team shared in two Pulitzer Prizes and was a finalist three other times. He twice served as a Pulitzer jurist.