The most prestigious honor offered to sports media personnel in Louisiana by their peers is the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism.

The Louisiana Sports Writers Association presents the award each year during the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame ceremonies.

Recipients are chosen by the 30-member Hall of Fame selection committee each year after the annual winter meeting.

Nominees are drawn from the ranks of the LSWA based on their professional accomplishments and impact in local, state, regional and even national arenas.  Candidates must be 60 years old, or have three decades of Journalism credentials, reflecting a lifetime of service in the profession.

Names of the Distinguished Service Award winners have been displayed in the Hall of Fame. There will be a “writer and broadcasters wing” of the Hall of Fame Museum, much as there is in the Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown.

1982
Bill Keefe, New Orleans Time Picayune
Paul Martin, Monroe News-Star
Bud Montet, Baton Rouge Morning Advocate
Truman Stacy, Lake Charles American Press

1983
Jack Fiser, The Shreveport Times

1984
John Ferguson, LSU and New Orleans Saints radio

1985
Dan Hardesty, Baton Rouge State Times

1986
Paul Manasseh, LSU Sports Information

1987
Ted Castillo, Baton Rouge Advocate

1988
Bill Carter, Alexandria Daily Town Talk

1989
Peter Finney, New Orleans Times-Picayune
Bob Roesler, New Orleans Times-Picayune

1990
Collie Nicholson, Grambling State Sports Information
Hap Glaudi; WWL-Radio/TV, New Orleans Item

1991
Fred Digby; New Orleans Item, Sugar Bowl Classic
Bill McIntyre, The Shreveport Times

1992
Connie Kaplan, The Kaplan Herald
Mike Cook, Baton Rouge Advocate

1993
M. L. Lagarde, Tulane University Sports Information
Austin Wilson, Associated Press

1994
M. L. Lagarde, Tulane University Sports Information
Austin Wilson, Associated Press

1995
Jim McLain, The Shreveport Times

1996
Jerry Byrd; Bossier Press-Tribune, Shreveport Journal
Joe Planas; The Catholic Commentator, Baton Rouge Advocate

1997
Roger Brandt, Oplepusas Daily World

1998
Hal Ledet, L’Observerteur

1999
Bob Hendreson, University of Southwestern La. Sports Information
Al Nassif, Alexandria Town Talk

2000
Sam King, Baton Rouge Advocate/State-Times
Jerry Pierce, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame/Northwestern State
Gerry Robichaux, The Shreveport Times

2001
Bud Johnson, SLU/LSU/Tulane

2002
Louis Bonnette, McNeese State Sports Information
George Sweeney, New Orleans Times Picayune

2003
Bill Curl, Tulane/The Louisiana Superdome

2004
Keith Prince, Louisiana Tech/Monroe News-Star

2005
Buddy Diliberto, WWL-Radio, WDSU-TV

2006
Jim Wynn; McNeese State, Abbeville Meridional, Alexandria Town Talk, LSWA President
Marty Mule’, New Orleans Times-Picayune

2007
Pete Dosher; Louisiana Tech, Grambling
Arthur Schott; New Orleans Times-Picayune, States-Item, State sports historian

2008
Ed McHale, Associated Press
R. L. Stockard; Southern, SWAC, New Orleans

2009
O. K. “Buddy” Davis; Ruston Daily Leader
Bob Griffin; Shreveport sportscaster and writer

2010
Norm Fletcher; Natchitoches Broadcast Legend
Ted Lewis; Times-Picayune, Baton Rouge Advocate

2011
Ron Brocato; States-Item, Times-Picayune, Clarion Herald
Larry Hymel; Southeastern La. University Sports Information

2012
Bill Bumgarner; States-Item, Times-Picayune
Butch Muir; Baton Rouge Advocate

2013
Bob Marshall; Times-Picayune

2014
Joe Macaluso; Baton Rouge Advocate

2015
Bobby Dower; Lake Charles American Press
Glenn Quebedeaux; The Daily Iberian/Baton Rouge Advocate

2016
Jim Hawthorne, LSU Sports Network Broadcast Legend
Bob Tompkins, Alexandria Town Talk

2017
Jim Henderson, New Orleans Sportscaster, Saints Network Broadcast Legend
Dan McDonald, Media Relations and Journalist

2018
Scooter Hobbs, Lake Charles American Press
Lyn Rollins, Louisiana Television Broadcast Legend

2019
Dave Nitz, Louisiana Tech Broadcast Legend
Philip Timothy, Gannett Louisiana/Longtime Louisiana sportswriter

2020
C. Kent Lowe, LSU Athletics
Robin Fambrough, Baton Rouge Advocate

The Dave Dixon Award is presented annually by the LSWA’s 30-member Hall of Fame selection committee to an individual who has played a decisive role as a sports leader or administrator benefiting Louisiana and/or bringing credit to Louisiana on the national and international level.

It is named in honor of Hall of Famer Dave Dixon, the driving force behind bringing the NFL to Louisiana with the creation of the New Orleans Saints franchise.

Dixon, who passed away last fall, is also considered the “father” of the Louisiana Superdome, developing the concept for the innovative domed structure and pushing state officials for its construction in the late 1960s.

2005
Randy Gregson; U.S. Tennis Association

2006
Emmanuel “Boozy” Bourgeois, Jr.; Special Olympics Louisiana

2007
Don Landry; Nicholls State, SLC
Doug Thornton; Louisiana Superdome

2008
Dr. James Andrews; Sports Medicine

2009
George Dement; Youth Sports Activists
Benny Turcan; Mr. Softball

2010
Gerald Boudreaux; NCAA Basketball Official, SEC Coordinator of Officials

2011
Elmo Adolph; Boxing Official
Billy Montgomery; State Legislator

2012
Dr. L.J. Mayeux; Ducks Unlimited

2013
Milton Retif; Sports Administrator

2014
Tynes Hildebrand; Sports Administrator
Wright Waters; Sports Administrator

2015
Paul Hoolahan; Sports Administrator

2016
Dr. Julian Bailes, Sports Medical Research

2017
Sue Donohoe, Sports Admnistrator

2018
Steve Gleason, New Orleans Saints Legend

2019
Marie Gagnard, Tennis Umpire

2020
Joan Cronan, Sports Administrator