Columnist of the Year David Brooks with Senior White House Advisor David Axelrod at the Opinion Awards event in 2009

he Week provides its readers with the most insightful current events commentary from the left and the right, from here and abroad. As the media landscape becomes increasingly polarized, The Week developed the Opinion Awards as a way to establish standards of excellence, and celebrate those opinion journalists who are compelling because they are thoughtful, insightful, and eloquent.

OPINION AWARDS 2009

Panel discussion on the topic of "Will There Ever Be a New Politics"
Moderated by Sir Harold Evans

PANELISTS:
Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina
Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri
Eugene Robinson, Associate Editor, The Washington Post
Joe Scarborough, Host of "Morning Joe," MSNBC

WINNERS
Columnist of the Year: David Brooks, The New York Times
Cartoonist of the Year: Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blogger of the Year: Nate Silver, Fivethirtyeight.com 

OPINION AWARDS 2008

Panel discussion on the topic of "How We Pick The President: What's Moving Voters in 2008?"
Moderated by Sir Harold Evans

PANELISTS
Howell Raines
Karl Rove
Doug Schoen

WINNERS
Columnist of the Year: Ruth Marcus, The Washington Post
Cartoonist of the Year: Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta Journal Constitution
Blogger of the Year: Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo

OPINION AWARDS 2007

Welcome remarks by Benjamin Bradlee
Panel discussion on the topic of "America in the World."
Moderated by Sir Harold Evans

PANELISTS
Tucker Carlson, "Tucker," MSNBC
Thomas Friedman, The New York Times
Jim Lehrer, "The Jim Lehrer NewsHour," PBS
Claire Shipman, "Good Morning America," ABC

WINNERS
Columnist of the Year: Michael Kinsley, The Washington Post
Cartoonist of the Year: Chip Bok, The Akron Beacon-Jourmal
Blogger of the Year: Joshua Fruhlinger, Wonkette; The Comics Curmudgeon

OPINION AWARDS 2006

Welcome remarks by Chris Dodd
Panel discussion on the topic of "Covering the Presidency: Are White House Correspondents Real Journalists?"
Moderated by Sir Harold Evans
Panelists:
Tony Blankley, Editorial Page Editor, The Washington Times
Michael Massing, Contributing Editor, Columbia Journalism Review
Michael McCurry, Former White House Press Secretary
Norah O'Donnell, Chief Washington Correspondent, NBC News
Arianna Huffington, The Huffington Post
Jake Tapper, Correspondent, ABC News

WINNERS:
Columnist of the Year: Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times
Blogger of the Year: Ed Morrissey, Captainsquarterblog.com
Cartoonist of the Year: Mike Luckovich, The Atlanta Journal Constitution

OPINION AWARDS 2005

Welcome remarks by Chuck Hagel, U.S. Senator (R-NE)
Panel discussion on the topic of "Is the Media Elite Out of Touch with America?"
Moderated by Sir Harold Evans

PANELISTS
Ed Schultz, "The Ed Schultz Show"
Tina Brown, CNBC & The Washington Post
Margaret B. Carlson, The Week
Pat Robertson, Christian Broadcasting Network

WINNERS
Columnist of the Year: Peter Beinart
Single-Issue Advocate of the Year: Jonathan Turley
Bloggers of the Year: John Hinderaker, Scott Johnson, Paul Mirengoff for Powelineblog.com
Cartoonist of the Year: Tom Toles