L.A. Parent is celebrating another year of national recognition, earning five Gold, one Silver and two Bronze awards at the 2026 Parenting Media Association (PMA) Design and Editorial Competition.

The annual competition recognizes excellence among parenting publications across the country. Entries are judged by faculty from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, whose evaluations celebrate outstanding work in journalism, design and digital media.

This year, L.A. Parent entered 10 categories and placed in eight — recognition that reflects the creativity, talent and dedication of our editorial and design teams and the writers who help bring our stories to life.

National recognition for L.A. Parent

Gold Award

• Special Section: Inclusive L.A. — September/October 2025 magazine
  • Judges’ comments: “Strong original reporting shows how equine and music therapy can benefit individuals with learning differences. The stories let parents hear from experts and get a head start investigating area facilities and programs that might be perfect for their children.”
• Feature Layout: “Rooted in Renewal: How Gardening Helps Kids Build Confidence, Reduce Stress and Grow” by Jenny Cardoza — May/June 2026 magazine
  • Judges’ comments: “Dirt and lush sprawling plants are clever accents and inspired visual devices in a story on plants and their influence on our daily lives. The subject and photography is bursting with color, personality and visual interest, perfectly capturing the spirit and persona of the story’s main character. The typography and design remain simple and strong, allowing the imagery and colorful graphics to take center stage. Illustrative accents and a charming illustrated sidebar add unexpected moments of visual energy. This feature is as vibrant, organic, and full of life as the subject itself.”
• Department Design: Family Recipes column — by Jenny Cardoza — Across multiple magazines
  • Judges’ comments: “Nice portraits and other well-chosen visual elements are positioned nicely on these sophisticated pages to attract readers and enhance the storytelling. Typography on the recipes is well done. The design also displays good cohesiveness from issue to issue.”
• Best Themed Issue: Family Travel — by staff editors and freelance writers — May/June 2026 magazine
  • Judges’ comments: “Los Angeles parents hitting the road or the skies for summer have all they need with this robust and thoroughly reported issue in hand. The “Family Travel Survival Guide” is packed with tips for flying, for screen-free road trips and packing pointers along with travel stories about excursions near and far. And the “How to Be a Tourist in Your Own City” recognizes that travel sometimes just means across town.”
• Family Matters Article: “New Year, No Gimmicks: Health Fads vs. Facts” — by Esther Carlstone — January/February 2026 magazine
  • Judges’ comments: “A lively and well-written January guide to deciphering health trends that are truly helpful or just fads. With consumers focused on their wallets, this guide helps readers spend more wisely on their health.”

Silver Award

• Website General Excellence — LAParent.com
  • Judges’ comments: “The site makes full use of its homepage real estate, foregrounding its latest content with an appealing gallery at the top of the page. The thoughtful use of visuals enhances and draws attention to the wealth of original reporting, which ranges from human interest to news.”

Bronze Awards

• News Feature: “Is Skinny Back? GLP-1 Weight Loss Trend” — by Elena Epstein — March/April 2026 magazine
  • Judges’ comments: “An informative question and answer session with a physician and obesity expert about the growing popularity of weight-loss drugs. It includes lots of tips for parents about how to talk with their kids about weight and health, and how to change their own attitudes about why they eat and exercise.
• Calendar Layout: Events roundups — by Jenny Cardoza— Across several magazines
  • Judges’ comments: “Legibility is enhanced by the open, uncondensed sans serif text font. Coupled with generous line leading this is very easy to read. The clip art provides relevant, attractive and tasteful support for the content without being intrusive.”

A tradition of excellence

We are grateful to the PMA and the University of Missouri School of Journalism judges for recognizing our work, and we’re proud to be counted among the outstanding parenting media outlets across the country.

Most of all, thank you to our talented writers, editors, designers, photographers and contributors — and to the families and communities whose stories inspire us every day. These awards reinforce our commitment to thoughtful, engaging and inclusive journalism that serves Los Angeles families.