• Support the Gridiron Awards Dinner
  • Congratulate winners of the MPC Awards for Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism Contest in our Once A Year magazine

The Milwaukee Press Club, one of the oldest press clubs in the world, will host its annual Gridiron Awards Dinner on Friday, May 3 at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. This year’s event will be timely, poignant, and not-to-be missed. 

We are pleased to welcome this year’s Sacred Cat award winner, James Bennet, and Headliner honorees, LeRoy Butler, and Tim Sheehy.

Bennet joined The Economist in 2021 as a visiting senior editor before being named to his current post. He previously was editorial page editor of The New York Times, where he oversaw the digital transformation of the paper’s opinion department and led it to two Pulitzer prizes in four years and also served as editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. Before joining The Atlantic, he worked as a reporter at the Times in various roles, including Jerusalem bureau chief, magazine correspondent, White House correspondent and Detroit bureau chief.

This year’s Headliner Awards will be presented to Leroy Butler, Green Bay Packers legend and NFL Hall of Fame honoree; and Tim Sheehy, senior advisor and retired president of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (MMAC). Headliner Awards are presented annually to those who have made significant, positive contributions to Wisconsin and its residents.

There are three ways to get involved with the Gridiron Awards event, and to support the Milwaukee Press Club’s journalistic mission and students pursuing careers in journalism:

  • Become a Sponsor
    To show your support for the honorees and the Press Club’s more than 300 professional members, there are three event sponsor levels, each offering different benefits. Sponsors will enjoy exposure at this well-attended event, as well as seats at the event. For more information on sponsorship click here.
  • Advertise in Once A Year
    For those interested in celebrating the honorees, the annual Once A Year magazine will be published to recognize these award winners and support the club. For more than 127 years, this magazine has provided documentation of the impressive list of honorees and has been mailed to club members and community leaders as a keepsake. To view a copy of last year’s Once A Year magazine click here.
  • Host a Table
    Tables include tickets for eight and excellent recognition at the event. ($1,200)

This event also recognizes the press club endowment’s annual Excellence in Wisconsin Journalism award winners.  Most importantly, proceeds from this event help to ensure the quality of Southeastern Wisconsin’s journalism community for years to come through college scholarships, mentoring, professional development and industry advocacy.

Click here for more information and forms on the sponsorship and advertising opportunities.  Ad and sponsorship deadline, Friday, March 22, 2024. 

For more information, contact Joette Richards with your questions at joette@milwaukeepressclub.org or (262) 894-2224.